MEET & GREET, formerly exhibited in White River State Park, is one of a series of sculptures that artist Leslie (Les) Bruning refers to as “street conservations.”  Bruning believes that, in a civil society, we need to talk to each other in an open and friendly way if we are to co-exist peacefully.  In this sculpture, the faces come face-to-face with each other as the interactive cranks are manually turned.  This artwork demands participation to create the daily activity of facing our fellow citizens, and the turning of the cranks will also trigger a sound track of four short sentences that will be repeated each time the crank restarts.  The sentences are:  Effort has its rewards.  Rewards give us pleasure.  Pleasure wins us friends.  Friends make life rewarding.

Les Bruning is an accomplished and nationally recognized sculpture artist, specializing in metal casting and welding. Born in Syracuse, KS and raised in Nebraska, Bruning received a BA Degree in Art from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1970 and earned an MFA Degree in Sculpture from Syracuse University in 1972. He is also a founding member and partner in the Hot Shops Art Center, the owner of Bruning Sculpture, Inc., and a founding member of the Omaha Creative Institute. As an active participant, advocate, and organizer of public art projects, Bruning was a member of the J. Doe Project, created the J. Doe form, was a participant in Chicago’s Navy Pier exhibitions as well as Omaha’s 0! Art Project and several other projects.

For more information, see: http://www.inwhiteriver.com/

For more information on the artist, see: http://bruningsculpture.com/