The Tour

During April and May, 2022 That Place in the Stars made history with temporary installations in unique public spaces along a 1,500-mile transport route from Vermont to Oklahoma. The tour stopped at venues in Stowe, Vermont; Utica, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; St. Louis, Missouri; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This "pop-up" tour was possible because Curtis devised a creative method of erecting and dismantling the large stainless steel sculpture by himself using his remote-controlled crane. This enabled him to personally install and move the sculpture on the ambitious 11-week tour. It was the first large-scale sculpture tour of this kind.

"This is the first time a tour of this type and scale has been mounted," says Curtis. "A sculpture of this size would normally be direct-shipped by tractor trailer with no stops anywhere."

Stowe, Vermont | Trapp Family Lodge

Friday, March 1 - Friday, April 15

The premiere appearance of That Place in the Stars was at the historic Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT. The beautiful mountain resort is owned by the family that inspired "The Sound of Music". Along with the support of the Trapp Family Lodge, the Vermont launch was sponsored by Stowe's contemporary arts center, The Current, as part of their annual outdoor sculpture exhibition, EXPOSED!

Visitors were invited to view the striking stainless steel sculpture in a mountain meadow at the Trapp Family Outdoor Center.

Utica, New York | PrattMWP

Thursday, April 21

Heading west, the sculpture stopped at PrattMWP College of Art & Design in Utica, NY. Curtis installed the sculpture on campus for an audience of sculpture students attending the prestigious art school.

Mr. Curtis spent time with the students describing his creative process and construction methods during the installation demonstration. This venue brought back memories of his own art training under the esteemed Paul Aschenbach at the University of Vermont.

That Place in the Stars was also on view for the public on Thursday, April 21.

Rochester, New York | The Public Market

Saturday, April 23 - Sunday, 24

The next stop was Rochester's lively Public Market district. The Rochester installation was sponsored by The Yards, a collaborative art space that offers a supportive artistic and inclusive creative atmosphere. That Place in the Stars was on exhibit as part of The Yard's Earth Day celebration in the marketplace.

Rochester's Public Market is a popular arts and shopping district that provided a bustling location for visitors to experience the beautiful sculpture created by Mr. Curtis. A local artist was inspired to create watercolor sketches of the installation (shown above).

Cleveland, Ohio | University Circle

Tuesday, April 26 - Wednesday, 27

That Place in the Stars moved southwest from New York to Cleveland, Ohio. The sculpture was installed on the Wade Oval Stage located in the heart of University Circle, Cleveland's "Central Park." This beautiful location is the center of the arts world in Cleveland. University Circle is surrounded by Cleveland's Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History, Institute of Music, Institute of Art, Botanical Garden, MOCA Cleveland and more. The sculpture was featured nearby the spectacular building designed by Frank Gehry at Case Western Reserve University.

At University Circle, some of the best arts and cultural institutions in the country collaborate with local educators on programs and classes that enrich the lives of countless students.

Curtis at Wade Oval in University Circle in Cleveland. OH. The Cleveland (Photo credit to Mark Most)

Cincinnati, Ohio | Cincinnati Observatory

Friday, April 29 - Sunday, May 1

Heading due south, That Place in the Stars made an appearance at the historic Cincinnati Observatory, the "birthplace of American astronomy." This location was special because, aside from the obvious connection with sculpture's name to star gazing, Mr. Curtis is a long-time amateur astronomer with a strong interest in contemplating celestial objects and space.

Curtis was honored to present his work at the home of the oldest continually operating telescope in the United States. The juxtaposition of the sculpture with the two working observatories made for spectacular evening viewing.

St. Louis, Missouri

Macolm W. Martin Memorial Park
Monday, May 2

On May 2, That Place in the Stars made a stop at Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park in St. Louis. This lovely park is a passive public space situated directly across from the St. Louis Gateway Arch. The installation provided the perfect venue to capture photos of the the sculpture's sensual curves accentuated by the famous Gateway Arch in the background.

This beautiful location is home to the Gateway Geyser the tallest water fountain in the U.S. and the Mississippi River Overlook, a viewing tower that offers unprecedented views of the Gateway Arch and downtown St. Louis.

Tulsa, Oklahoma | Philbrook Museum

Saturday, May 7 - Wednesday, 11

The last stop on the public tour of That Place in the Stars was the Philbrook Museum of Art where the sculpture was on view for five days in front of the grand entrance. Christopher Curtis was honored to exhibit That Place in the Stars at this lovely museum before its permanent installation in the formal garden at the collector's Tulsa home.

The Philbrook Museum provides a unique trifecta of experiences: a historic home, world class art museum, and 25 acres of gardens. For good reason, it also has the reputation as “the most beautiful place in Oklahoma.”

Philbrook 's collection features more than 16,000 objects with a focus on American, Native American, and European art. Serving over 160,000 visitors annually, Philbrook shines a light on Tulsa’s storied and complex past while building a diverse and creative vision of the city’s future.