Villa Barr has an active “artist in residence” program where various artists from around the world will spend time at Villa Barr pursuing their artistic passions. These include, not only sculptures but also literary artists, musicians, painters and other forms of art. Villa Barr currently has two pieces of sculpture displayed from two of these former artists in residence.
Ag dul Abhalie (Going Home). Kaz McCure created this boat form to commemorate his own heritage as part of the Irish migration. Made of recycled materials, the sculpture celebrates his place in the Irish diaspora. McCue was the first artist to serve as Villa Barr Artist in Residence. The residency program was created to fulfill David Barr’s desire to “provide the inspiration and means for artists to create new artwork that reflects harmony with the environment natural, social, political, global”. Each year artists from around the country are selected to continue the Barr’s legacy while residing and creating at Villa Barr
Bosque Urban. Artist Jeff Zischke, a native of Detroit now residing in Arizona created this sculpture with both locations in mind. In this rambling irregular assembly of lumber he evokes the bosque (woodland), a naturally occurring feature of the arid southwest where rivers and streams nourish ribbons of vegetation as they meander through savanna and desert. In contrast to these snaking waterways Zischke invokes the chaotic assembly of lines characteristic of the built environment of a city street. Both environments create a sort of canopied walkway through which visitors can travel. Villa Barr patrons are invited to just that, walk through the sculpture. Bosque Urban was created in the summer of 2019 while the artist was in residence at Villa Barr.
