SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California State Railroad Museum & Foundation are proud to announce an imaginative new exhibit titled “Bent to the Task: The Industrial Art of Ray Carrington” that will debut on Friday, January 31, 2020. Thirty-five intriguing sculptures are showcased in the exhibit, all created from repurposed scrap and rail materials – such as hand tools, railroad spikes and track plates – that the local artist collected decades ago from abandoned railroad logging and sawmills in Northern California. Capturing the force and spirit of the faceless millions who built America’s industrial past, the collection of spike figures comes from the Carrington Foundation for Public Art.
In addition to experiencing the sculptures on display that provide a glimpse into a transformative time in America’s past, visitors are encouraged to participate in an interactive component that supports the Museum’s commitment to be a “laboratory of learning.” Workbenches with bins of toy train parts and metal bits will be available for visitors to create their own sculptures to display on a special shelf for others to appreciate or take home as keepsakes.
Through his artistry, Carrington hopes to inspire others to experience and enjoy metalworking while also saving and showcasing parts of our industrial past. Carrington, a resident of Fairfield, taught high school mathematics in Vacaville for 35 years. Both a self-taught welder and artist, Carrington uses a welding torch as his brush and has never taken an art course. Since 1966, exhibits highlighting his sculptures have been held in galleries from the San Francisco Bay area to Washington, D.C., Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon.
The “Bent to the Task” exhibit will be located in the Museum’s First Floor Entry Gallery and remain on display through June 30, 2020. Viewing and experiencing the exhibit is included in Museum admission: $12 for adults; $6 for youths ages 6-17; free for children ages 5 and under. For more information about the Carrington Foundation for Public Art, please visit www.carringtonfoundation.org; for more information about the California State Railroad Museum or Foundation, please visit www.californiarailroad.museum.
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About the California State Railroad Museum Foundation
The mission of the California State Railroad Museum Foundation (CSRMF) is to generate revenue and awareness on behalf of its destinations, while supporting the preservation, interpretation and promotion of our railroad heritage. The Foundation provides funding for ongoing support of numerous programs, both at the museum's Old Sacramento location and at the historic park in Jamestown, Calif. For more information, please visit www.californiarailroad.museum.