More than 30 sculptures will be displayed this September on the Menlo College campus in Atherton, with "Water" as a theme intended to raise awareness of the acidification of the ocean, the fragility of its ecosystems, and the monumental impact water has when it is present – and when it is missing. "The future will be dry lakes and sculptures that pay tribute to the liquid gold," says the fair’s organizer and director, Katharina Powers.
 
Local, national, and international sculptors took on the theme. Lead artist Matias di Carlo from Spain worked in corton steel to express water's organic nature. Sculptor Don Porcaro from New York brings "Tempest" to Menlo College, which signifies water's power to create and erode one of the most fundamental elements of our landscape – stone. Artist Priyanka Rana from Atherton looked at maps to design a floating city in the Maldives, which found a way to combat flooding and land submergence due to climate change. Brain coral inspires her sustainable floating city design sculpture. On Saturday, September 24th, a panel discussion "How to Create Environmentally Sustainable Sculptures" addresses sustainability concerns indepth with several artists, led by sculptor Tara de la Garza, who prints three-dimensional sculptors with recycled plastic. Can sculptors create environmentally friendly sculptures? Can they reduce the carbon footprint by capturing carbon?

Don Porcado's "Tempest." Marble, 76 x22x22 inches.

Since the inception of Silicon Valley Sculpture two years ago, five sculptures have been donated to the Menlo College campus. The larger-than-life art inspires Menlo students, and the campus is transforming into a cultural institution. President Steven Weiner commented, "I am pleased to see the Menlo College campus take its place as a cultural destination, where monumental work created by artists coexists with our nature-rich setting. Our serene campus is enhanced with these donations. What's more, these donations yield results that have yet to be seen, as they inspire our students to think in new ways that could lead them to devise innovative solutions for generations to come."

A film screening of "Hot Water" by partner UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival) will be held on Saturday, September 24, at 7pm, preceded by a screened presentation by Japanese artist, Rish Saito, of "Wonderland" a project composed of multi-scaled and directional flora that calls for celebrating the loss of beauty in the liquefaction of age and decay. That project was selected as a finalist design for International Architecture Competition - Urban Confluence Silicon (963 entries from 72 countries and six continents) in 2020 and is a prelude to SVS2023's theme "Peace and Love." 

The 2022 Silicon Valley Sculpture Exhibition
September 23 - 25
Information and Tickets