Created by Eldon Slick, "Second Chances" was among the sculptures in the first Art in Roanoke (AIR) temporary exhibition from October 2008 to April 2010. The sculpture’s name, Second Chances, refers to the escaping fish’s second chance at life.
Slick described on the application cover page for the exhibition, that the pelican’s upper beak is hinged and can be activated to up and down motion by gusts of wind. Within the lower beak, a fish is found fastened to a cam-driven rod which is activated by the movement of the beak. When the beak opens the fish rises up and appears to escape. Other fish, that have not gotten away, are found inside the pelican’s rib cage- “caught, swallowed and confined.”

About the artist:
Eldon Slick is a self-taught sculptor, painter, and writer with 40 years of experience in the fields of metal arts, commercial design, painting, and publishing. He owns a fine art, comical design, and fabrication business, with emphasis on public artworks.

About AIR:
Since 2002, the City of Roanoke has designated 1 % of funds for certain capital projects to purchase or display art in the city. The program is overseen by the 19-member Council-appointed Roanoke Arts Commission. Art for Everyone, the city’s first public art plan, was adopted by the City Council in 2006.

AIR is a project of the City of Roanoke’s Percent for Art Program, established to provide public art in city neighborhoods and public places to reflect the community’s vibrancy and heritage.

Sourced from:
Information was obtained from documents by the Arts Council of the Roanoke Valley.