Four new sculptures are up along Greenwood’s Polk Hill Trail as part of the city’s popular Art on the Trail program.
The artwork, which will be up for two years, shines a light on artists from around the country. This installment’s artists all hail from the Midwest, including two from Indianapolis, one from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and one from Lutsen Mountain, Minnesota, said Jen Winget, recreation coordinator.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department and Economic Development Commission set aside $6,700 for the new artwork, which replaces the previous artwork that was there longer than most due to the city’s many construction projects. The Greater Greenwood Arts Council decided to extend the leases on the last set of artwork due to all the construction in Greenwood last year. Part of the trail was closed for months.
A panel of professionals, including nearby artists, landscape architects and professors, chose the four new pieces, and each artist will be paid $3,000 for their work. The remaining costs, such as shipping their work and installing it, will come from the arts council’s budget, which includes money raised during its annual fundraiser, arts council president Karen Wilkerson said previously.
The last of the new artwork was installed Wednesday.
Greenwood has made several additions and updates to its trail system as officials seek to increase connectivity and walkability, according to a news release.
Earlier this year, the city’s Parks and Recreation Board approved several trail projects, including a new multi-purpose trail from Averitt Road to Freedom Park and paving improvements to Polk Hill Trail and Play Pocket Trail stretching from Craig Park to Fire Station 91, the news release said.
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Here is a look at some of the details of the new artwork installed along the Polk Hill Trail in Greenwood as part of the city’s Art on the Trail program:
Greg Mueller
Lutsen Mountain, Minnesota
“Pod Stop”
Artist Statement: “In response to Greenwood’s public art initiatives, I focus on the pedestrian-vehicle dichotomy. Pod Stop is a place for pedestrians as they navigate their way through the Greenwood arteries. This sculptural nuance re-purposes street motifs associated with vehicular traffic to construct a place of respite, gathering, and play. The sculpture is based on (2) intersecting stop-sign octagon shapes forming a human-scale pod and clad with Department of Transportation approved, decommissioned street signs. An additional element features repurposed tires that act as perches for a social need. In particular, choosing signs with text of ‘stop’ and ‘yield’ support the concept of a gathering place and contribute to Greenwood’s progressive vision.”
Kimberly McNeelan
Indianapolis
“Community Windows”
Artist Statement: “Community Windows is a sculpture that frames different views for the passerby. We are too frequently wrapped up in technology and our phones. We forget to look around and enjoy the beauty at hand! Community Windows offers a whimsical new perspective and way of framing the world.”
Pat Mack
Indianapolis
“Two Become One”
Artist Statement: “This sculpture developed out of thoughts on relationships. The forms are merging into one body expressing in symbolic form what it means to be united in body, mind, and spirit as one. The sculpture morphed into this simple bold shape in a timeless totem pole fashion."
Nathan Pierce
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
“Bright Days”
Artist statement: “I love the surprise that we get from seeing out of the ordinary things in ordinary places. Things that are out of the ordinary help bring awareness to our surroundings and creates an opportunity to re-imagine our sense of place. I create forms that seem out of the ordinary in the public landscape. The relationship that these pieces have with the environment communicate to the viewer. It is this connection that helps activate our imaginations and helps us see the world differently.”
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