Sculptured Animals Hit Huntington
The latest Artisans Celebration creations was unveiled June 1. It marked the third time in the past decade that the talent, depth, and vision of Tri-State Area artists went on display in the downtown Huntington area.
Artisans Express debuted in 2015 as artistic interpretations of the city’s railroad heritage. The resulting colorful locomotives raised $300,000 for the Cabell Huntington Hospital Foundation. A display of tugboats followed four years later.
This year’s Artisans Celebration: Wild and Wonderful will feature fiberglass models of four animals significant to West Virginia: the northern cardinal, brook trout, black bear, and white-tailed deer.
Sixty artists submitted applications with 16-by-20-inch drawings and descriptions of their project. Among proposed designs were a deer covered in disco tiles, a tattooed cardinal, a mosaic fish, a beekeeper bear, and a coal-miner bear. Forty-eight castings will be decorated by 34 artists, with each artist selected for the exhibition receiving a $1,000 stipend.
The committee overseeing the latest project is chaired by Kyle Coleman, a native of the Tri-State Area, who moved back last October after three years in Savannah, Georgia. There he worked for an event farm that hosted some 200 events a year, mostly weddings.
“I was really starting to long for home and missing my family,” Coleman said. “I heard there was an opportunity to work on a special project that would benefit the Hoops Family Children’s Hospital. I became very excited to use my talents and experience for something far above myself and helping children in need.”
Don Van Horn, Dean Emeritus of the Marshall University College of Arts and Media, said with his background in sculpture he was happy to get involved.
“Public art projects always promote community awareness, for its citizens as well as people from other places,” Van Horn said. “The theme for this year focuses on wildlife known throughout West Virginia. We hope that will be an attraction, beckoning others in our state to come to Huntington.”
Terry Deppner Hardin joined the committee because she loves Huntington and art, so combining these two passions made for an easy choice.
Director of Development for the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center, Deppner Hardin wants to see Huntington become a destination city for arts, culture, history, and entertainment.
“Artisans has the potential to deliver on many points,” she said. “Arts can lead to employment, small business development, and enhanced commerce. It can also open up new revenue streams for restaurants and retail stores.”
The decorated animals will remain on display and remain up until Sept. 21, when a gala will be held to auction off the pieces. All funds raised will go to provide critical services for the Children’s Hospital, which will celebrate its tenth anniversary next year.
