Arts have arrived in the greenway near Maryville’s downtown through temporary sculpture installations. The artwork, which come from the Knoxville-based nonprofit responsible for the Dogwood Arts Festival, will remain in the greenway for a year before they’re replaced with new pieces.
Dignitaries gathered to unveil the works near the Greenway Pavilion Tuesday morning, June 25.
The installations are part of Dogwood Arts’ “Art in Public Places” program — a cooperative agreement that works to bring murals and sculptures to public view in everyday locations. Over 300 sculptures from around the country have rotated through the program since its inception in 2007. Most of the 38 pieces in this year’s exhibition are located in the Knoxville area, but staff at Dogwood Arts have been trying to break into the Blount County area for a while.
Culture
Byan Daniels, president and CEO of facilitating group Blount Partnership, told guests at the small event that he felt artistic ventures help attract young people to the area. Part of the partnership’s strategic plan for the region is to enhance the visual beauty of Blount County through the arts, such as the recent addition of a mural at the corner of Broadway Avenue and Cusick Street.
Bringing the values of young people to the county, he said, will encourage them to stay and continue giving back to the community.
“This demographic highly values the presence of creative destinations within walking distance like Vienna coffee, and showcasing our artists,” said Daniels.
The three sculptures, all of which stand over 6 feet tall, are broken up around the greenway. Ray Katz’ “Blast #2” sits to the south of Vienna Coffee Company, while Andy Denton’s “Wind to the Dove” lies just to the north of the Maryville Greenbelt Amphitheatre.
Andrew Light’s “Divergent (With I)” is near the entrance of the Greenbelt Pavilion by Court Street.
Coordination
The three works are the result of months of coordination between Dogwood Arts, Blount Partnership and Maryville staff. After a February pitch to the city government, coordinators began working on bringing the artwork to Maryville in earnest.
The nearest installation to Maryville is David Skora’s “Bent” at McGhee Tyson Airport.
As part of the program, artists are responsible for transporting and installing their work to the selected location. Artwork remains on the site for a year, rented by municipalities or other hosts, and then is replaced every summer. Each sculpture is also listed for sale on the Dogwood Arts Website — Maryville’s installations range from $8,000-100,000.
Initial estimates put the cost per sculpture for Maryville around $5,000, although the total price for the city ended up coming out to just over $4,500.
For Dogwood Arts Executive Director Sherry Jenkins, the exhibitions in Maryville demonstrate how much the local community values the arts. She said the group is thrilled to be in Blount County and hopes the program continues to expand in the area.
“You guys already get it,” she said. “You get how important it is for your community to embrace the arts.”
She said she can’t wait to see what other artistic endeavors local leadership spurs in the community.
Most Popular
Comments / 0