There’s a new unique piece of art in the downtown skyline, as a 15-foot praying mantis sculpture now sits atop the Studio 105 Art & Frame Gallery building.
Studio Owner Jamie DeWitt said that he and frequent collaborator Andy Shoemaker are always thinking of ways to recycle the old equipment in the facility.
There was already a sculpture outside of the building that depicts a man and is made of an old out-of-service compressor; and their new addition on the roof came from the underpinner.
Shoemaker said every time he saw the machine, all he saw was a praying mantis.
“And he said, ‘I was thinking the same thing.’ So it was kind of two artists collaborating and just talking through,” DeWitt said.
The two knew the sculpture had to be a large attraction and eye-catching, and the interior floor was not going to be enough space to hold the piece.
So on Thursday night, Shoemaker spent some time installing the mantis on the roof. The piece drew a lot of attention over the weekend from passersby.
“The response that we’re getting on social media is just amazing. We look out the door and there are people across the street at the bank is like groups of people just looking at the roof,” DeWitt said.
DeWitt is planning to install some lights to keep the piece lit up at night for people to see.
Studio 105 is one of the largest art galleries in Owensboro, attracting customers from around the tri-state area. The nearly 40-year-old business sets out to find local and national-acclaimed artists to add work to any location.
