A ribbon cutting ceremony for 10 new sculptures in downtown Augusta is scheduled for Friday, May 2.
The 11 a.m. ceremony at the 8th Street Riverwalk Plaza, 2 8th Street, will showcase the 10 new additions.
Currently there are 18 sculptures along the trail, including works by local, regional and national artists. Since the first installation debuted in 2021, thousands of arts lovers have strolled the trail to take in the sights and enjoy accessible art from national as well as locally acclaimed artists, according to an arts council news release.
The first 10 were designed to stay for only two years unless someone purchased them. The rest would rotate out and a new set of 10 to follow the same pattern.
On Jan. 31, the last of the newest sculptures for the third iteration were installed along the Savannah River.
“We get artists from all over,” said Heather Dunaway, gallery and public art director for the Greater Augusta Arts Council in a Feb. 1 Augusta Good News article.. “It elevates Augusta in a way that makes artists here want to stay and contribute. All around, it’s a really neat project.”
The Greater Augusta Arts Council, which acts as the Public Art Agency for the City of Augusta, developed the Augusta Sculpture Trail in 2020, with funding from the City of Augusta, during COVID in hopes of giving residents and visitors a way to experience public art and the outdoors. It was also seen as a method of driving the local economy by helping to bring visitors to Downtown Augusta, the news release said.
So far, seven sculptures have stayed including Popsicles and Book Bench by Craig Gray, Unstoppable and Without Limits by Gus & Lina Ocamposilva; Maestro/Forever Young by Larry Schueckler, Sun Lion by D’jean Jawrunner and Ruthless by Flaminio Antonio.
The family of the late sculptor/welder Roger Finch donated his Tropical Dream to the trail to bring the total to 18.
New sculptures include Hearts at Play by Melinda Hoffman of Mauldin, South Carolina; Nitrogenous by Hannah Jubran of Grimesland, North Carolina; Crescendo by Sam Spiczka of Apex, North Carolina; Lotus Blossom by Beau Lyday, Valdese, North Carolina; Bicycle Built for Two by Jim Collins of Signal Mountain, Tennessee; Zephyrusby Jorge Blanco of Sarasota, Florida; Dance of Light by Wenxia Zhang of Suwanee, Georgia; Plumera Sculptura by Kirk Seese of Lutherville, Maryland; Pale Fire by Joe Schairer of Wallingford, Connecticut; and The Flame by Przemyslaw Kordys of Augusta.
Everyone who attends the ribbon cutting will receive a free voucher for a guided tour of the trail at noon Saturday, May 3. Learn more at www.augustasculpturetrail.com
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
