Throughout Newport News stand unique invitations to experience art unencumbered by walls, roofs, spaces or imagination. These contemporary sculptures are the brainchild of Bobby Freeman, developer of Port Warwick. This eventual foundation, the Newport News Public Art Foundation (NNPAF) founded in 2002, encompassed Freeman’s goal to provide residents with free, accessible art to inspire the imagination and provide a tactile experience for all residents of Newport News and beyond.
Becca Sidman, new executive director of the foundation, embodies this same perspective and is excited to speak about her participation in the existing outdoor artworks and discovering new works to share with the public. These now 23 monumental-scale and free-standing sculptures are the pride of NNPAF and Sidman.
Born in Michigan, Sidman holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with an art history minor. With her love of the arts nurtured since childhood, Sidman is ready to manage the foundation and has the full support of her husband Drew, a Navy emergency room doctor. Together for 13 years and married for five, the couple found their way to Hampton Roads by way of Wisconsin and Chicago, when Drew was transferred with the Navy to Portsmouth Medical Center. Along with their Great Danes, Midas and Atlas — whose names speak to Sidman’s love of art — the Sidmans moved into a lovely Victorian house, delighted at its proximity to Drew’s work and the endless possibilities for Sidman’s love of gardening.
With a stellar résumé, the desire to continue working in the contemporary art field and her years as director of sales at the prestigious Tory Folliard Gallery in Milwaukee, Sidman was the perfect choice to manage NNPAF. Along with her working experience, Sidman’s gregarious nature and warm, welcoming temperament provide her with a gift for working with the public, collectors and artists.
As NNPAF executive director, Sidman hopes to “break the mold,” the mold being the requirement of traditional visits to museums to view works of art, where touching is discouraged and even forbidden. This outdoor art is fee-free to the public as well. In many cases, museums require fees that make visits unmanageable for lower income or larger families. Sidman is particularly excited about the free accessibility of the open-air sculptures and hopes to develop a touch tour for children.
Sidman believes the fully immersive approach is particularly important for children, allowing them to shape their own visions by viewing, touching and in many cases, climbing on the sculpture for a full 3-D tactile experience. Case in point, “Man and Crocodile” by Girolamo Ciulla. One of Ciulla’s only works in marble, “Man and Crocodile” is particularly suited to withstand Hampton Roads weather and for climbing and exploring.
While perhaps not designed for climbing, the latest work of art in Newport News is “Starfinder,” representing the shipbuilding, military and aerospace industries. Sculpted by Owen Morrel, “Starfinder” is located at Tech Center Research Park and is designed as a nod to the ancient navigational tool, the Astrolabe. Dedicated in September, this site-specific creation is an inventive mix of science and art.
Fully embracing her public-facing position, Sidman conducts a two-mile walking tour from Riverside Regional Medical Center to Christopher Newport University, to include three sculptures and the CNU campus. In addition, NNPAF offers a Port Warwick scavenger hunt with a close look at four sculptures and an audio tour to enhance the experience, where internationally renowned artists discuss their vision and the medium used to create their work of art.
When speaking about her private life, Sidman lights up at the mention of her husband and his encouragement and support of her visions for NNPAF. Sidman also smiles broadly when discussing her two Great Danes and how some people can misunderstand the true nature of these magnificent dogs, large in size, but gentle in nature, much like the art in which she immerses herself. Since moving to the Peninsula in May, Sidman has come to love Virginia with its the verdant nature parks and hiking trails, perfect for an outdoor girl and her dogs. And perfect for an outdoor art lover who truly embraces NNPAF’s motto, “Every Piece of Art Tells a Story,” while “Encouraging the Community to Enjoy and Appreciate the Art Around Them.”
TO THE POINT:
Newport News Public Art Foundation
Contact: Becca Sidman, executive director
Address: 733 Thimble Shoals Blvd., Ste. 170, Newport News, VA 23606
Phone: 757-369-3014
Email: becca@nnpaf.org, info@nnpaf.org
Website: www.nnpaf.org
