BILL
BINNINGS, VISUAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR OF ST. TAMMANY PARISH,
COMMISSIONED
FOR SCULPTURE OF WALKER PERCY
By 2014, in the garden patio next to the St. Tammany Library
in Covington, soon will have an impressive sculpture of the St. Tammany icon, Walker
Percy, relaxing on one of the Serenity Patio’s benches, accompanied by his
little dog, Sweet Pea.
After a number of months of interviews and study, the St.
Tammany Library Foundation awarded the commission to Bill Binnings, whose
bronze works are known throughout Louisiana and who has recently also been
represented in the Reflection Gallery of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Bill Binnings received his MFA in Sculpture/Foundry from
Ohio State University. His major
commissions include a fountain installation, “New Morning,” at Christwood
Retirement Center in Covington, two bronze sculptures in the Preservation Plaza
for the St. Tammany School Board, the “Mel Ott Memorial” in Greta, the “Good Samaritan”
monument to first responders in Chalmette, and “The Youthful Teacher” at the
Alabama Institute of the Deaf and Blind.
He has a work in Buffalo, New York, entitled “Angel Messengers,” and an
“Isadora Series” in the Miriam Beranger Memorial Garden in Red Bluff, LA. Additionally, a short drive to Ponchatoula,
LA will give you the opportunity to view “The Horticulture Lesson” and his monument
to Native Americans, “The Natural Conservationist," both stunning
depictions of the history of the area. Works by Bill Binnings can also been
seen in Buffalo, New York, and Baltimore, Maryland.
Bill has been interviewed on local television and radio
stations and on FOX 8 TV. Inside Northside, and Louisiana Homes and Gardens have
featured articles on his sculpture and career. Binnings’ work
can also be found in private and corporate venues in regional, national, and
international collections.
Bill was a personal friend of Walker Percy, accompanying him
weekly for lunch at Bechac’s, the Mandeville lakefront restaurant, where Walker
gathered artists and writers to talk and share their outlooks and creative
thoughts each week.
The Foundation will be seeking funding from the sale of
bricks and from significant donors to fund the sculpture. By 2014 we hope to have a bronze statue
in the gardens of the new St. Tammany Parish Library in Madisonville. It will be a destination venue for
tourists, visitors, and the residents of our community.
Help make it possible!
Buy a brick and memorialize someone you love in a historic monument!