Monday, May 9, is Visual Arts Day at Dogwood Fine Arts Festival.

The day begins with the dedication of the 13th public sculpture at noon in Burke Park, at the triangle of Main, N. Lowe and Spruce streets.

Sculptor Bob Guelich, a Flint native from Texas, will unveil “Touching Earth II.” The cast bronze sculpture is an anonymous gift to the citizens of Dowagiac.

Gallery hours at SMC include Monday evening, May 9; Tuesday, May 10, 1-4 p.m.; and Wednesday, May 11, 7-9:30 p.m.

The San Antonio-based sculptor who created 2007’s “Dawn Sentinels” outside the Donald Lyons Health Center is an award-winning artist.

He has received the National Sculpture Society’s Gold and Silver medals, the Society of Animal Artists’ Medal of Excellence and the Allied Artists of America’s Silver Medal of Honor.

“Bob’s sculptures show an amazing understanding of his subject matter’s anatomy and, at the same time, effortlessly capture the animal’s essence and personality,” says art consultant Steven Boody.

Guelich’s sculptures can be found in public collections including The San Antonio Zoo, Frederik Meijer Sculpture Garden, Ronald Reagan Library, Notre Dame University and Mayo Foundation.

That evening, Charles R. Loving, director and curator, George Rickey Sculpture Archive at the Snite Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame, will present a lecture on public art entitled Michiana Peregrinations — Richard Hunt’s Journeys to Dowagiac and Notre Dame, at 7:30 p.m. in the theater of the Dale A. Lyons Building on the Dowagiac campus of Southwestern Michigan College.

Hunt created Dowagiac’s second piece of public art, “Active Hybrid” at Rudy Park, across from the Mill Pond.

Both Guelich and Loving will be present at a reception and exhibit featuring Guelich’s works in the gallery at SMC.

All of the day’s events are free and open to the public.

Dowagiac’s public sculpture collection was instituted through the efforts of the Visual Arts Committee of the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival and is proud to have facilitated the installation of 12 previous sculptures, all commissioned by private donors and donated to the people of Dowagiac.

Members of the visual arts committee include David Baker, Joan Gaideski, Margaret Hunter, Karen Judd, Ron McAdam, Marty Montgomery, Kathleen Seurynck, John Vylonis, Cynthia Wardlaw, Denise Wierman and Chairwoman Thelda Mathews.

Dogwood Fine Arts Festival is made possible through sponsorship by St. Denys Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Visual Arts Day is sponsored in part by Lyons Industries of Dowagiac.

For tickets or more information about other Dogwood Festival events call (269) 782-1115 or (866) 490-2847.

www.dogwoodfinearts.org