FLOYD COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) \u2014 A metal sign built by a Roanoke artist is drawing attention from festival-goers at FloydFest this year.<\/p>\n
Tay Whiteside, owner of LiftArc Studios, created the piece after FloydFest approached his studio about building a custom art installation using reclaimed metal already on site.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey approached us about doing a custom art piece utilizing some reclaimed metal that they had sitting on site,\u201d Whiteside said. \u201cSo they said, there\u2019s this big 12-foot circle. Can you make a sign that goes inside it? And we mount it somewhere on the grounds. And we said, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whiteside operates his studio in a warehouse off the Roanoke River. He said metal has become his material of choice over the years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the right amount of force or heat or pressure, you can kind of get it to do whatever you want it to do,\u201d Whiteside said. \u201cI always kept coming back to metal because it\u2019s just so rewarding when you build something that tough and raw out of such an unforgiving material.\u201d<\/p>\n
FloydFest COO Sam Calhoun said the festival provides a platform for regional artists to reach audiences they might not otherwise access.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes art\u2019s hard to get out and expose to new audiences,\u201d Calhoun said. \u201cWe have people from 47 states and three foreign countries visit here. They get to experience local art from Southwest Virginia. People are able to get their art into new communities outside of Floyd, outside of Roanoke. And that\u2019s what it\u2019s really all about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whiteside said the FloydFest installation is now an annual tradition. Each year, LiftArc Studios will build a new sign inspired by that year\u2019s festival theme, and previous signs will remain on the grounds permanently.<\/p>\n
Whiteside said the work is what drives him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is quite literally what keeps me getting out of bed every morning,\u201d he said, \u201cchasing that feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
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