Local artist shows a more serious side in City Gallery display

Chuck Fitzgerald is a Puyallup-based sculptor known for creating fun pieces that decorate downtown.

Now, the 64-year-old’s art is taking on a new location: the City Gallery at Puyallup City Hall.

“The city created an opportunity for local artists,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald revamped the “Open Heart” statue last year, and created “Elegant Valley” and “Baseball Player,” all on display around downtown Puyallup.

Fitzgerald’s latest gallery features 3-D sculptures made of assembled strips of various wood, including maple, walnut, oak, mahogany, zebra wood and recycled wood. For these pieces, Fitzgerald cut the wood into strips with a table saw, glued the strips together, then shaped and hand-coated them with oil.

“They’re all isolated forms I’ve taken from nature,” he said. “It’s things you find in a lifetime, like an image of my son in the womb.”

While Fitzgerald’s work is typically lighthearted, this gallery shows a more stern side of Fitzgerald.

“We’ve seen a lot of his fun art,” said Rosemary Eckerson, founder emeritus of Valley Arts United. “This features a much more serious side of Chuck.”

The City Gallery is free and open to the public during business hours. It has displayed local artists since 2009, curated by Valley Arts United. From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. June 28, the city will host an artist show and reception for Fitzgerald’s work.

“Chuck is a man of many talents,” Eckerson added.

Fitzgerald’s work is slated to be on display through Aug. 29 on the 5th floor of City Hall, located at 333 S. Meridian.

This story was originally published June 23, 2016 at 12:30 PM with the headline "Local artist shows a more serious side in City Gallery display."