Local metal sculptor Casey Strelecki’s art was completely unknown to the public until the Whidbey News-Times’ prominent front page article about his involvement with the Sculpture Forest. We are excited about the upcoming arrival and installation of Casey’s “Food For The Forest”. Author Karina Andrew wrote an engaging article “Artist’s Debut Defends Donations” about the backstory of how this came to be.

During summer 2021, a miscreant broke into our nonprofit’s public donation boxes on 5 occasions. We adapted via the appreciated involvement of a neighbor / volunteer to ensure daily collection and emptying of the donation boxes, increased security, and increased strength of the donation boxes. In collaboration with Island County Sheriffs, they were able to identify and prosecute the thief. Although there have been no issues since, we wanted to ensure that everyone’s donations are extremely secure and protected so that donations always go fully toward the nonprofit’s art and park expenses.

Casey is a Navy veteran who works on large scale metal boat building at Nichols Brothers during the day, while creating art in his private workshop on the weekends. We connected with him regarding another of his sculptures (hummingbird feeding on a flower) at a Sculpture Forest artist and volunteers gathering this past autumn. We were so impressed that we asked him to also consider creating a “donation box” more in Sculpture Forest style: a donation box that is much more art than “box”. The concept of a very heavy duty metal tree snag with a pileated woodpecker grew from there in collaboration. We anticipate that you will be able to see Casey’s Food For The Forest within the coming month.

Thank you, Karina, Whidbey News-Times, and Casey!

Whidbey News-Times article Artist's Debut Defends Donations about Casey Strelecki photo by Karina Andrew
Photo of Casey and Food For The Forest from article by Karina Andrew
  • May 2022

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