New art is prominently on display in downtown Augusta for all to view.
The Augusta Sculpture Trail, a public art trail located along the Savannah River, added new art that was unveiled after a ribbon cutting on April 21. The art trail is funded by the Greater Augusta Arts Council.
“This is a new source of pride for the city, we have heard that as a commitment towards growing our public art program. The impact on Augusta’s economic development, it’s a catalyst for Augusta’s destination planning and the collaboration amongst city government, parks and recreation, local organizations and community volunteers, these are all attributes that we can be proud of and thankful for,” said Dennis Skelly, the Vice President of Public Art for the Greater Augusta Arts Council. “The arts has really brought us together.”
Destination Augusta representative Bennish Brown is excited to continue to showcase the river region through public accessible art. Public participation at the Sculpture Walk is one of 10 recently unveiled Authentic Augusta experiences, where the creation of a mural.
“Our organizational vision is to do all we can to make sure that Augusta continues to grow as a thriving community. The sculpture trail certainly fits perfectly into that vision and the plan we have for Augusta,” Brown said. “Community development in the areas of culture and the arts is also an engine for generating tourism so this sculpture trail creates curiosity … and ultimately curiosity encourages visitors and residents to just explore a bit more and little bit more until they find their next new favorite piece of art.”
“All of the public art here is crucial and critical to our quality of place, our quality of life, our pride in our city and absolutely … can help with investment in our community and our business recruiting,” said Jay Markwalter, the Executive Director of Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus. “It is about where organizations and businesses want to relocate and start businesses. They want to see that it is a wonderful place to live with their families, their employees.”
Guided tours for the art can be accessed through the app Otocast, which showcases the art on display through December 2024.
“It’s very cool. Augusta was a place (where) I came of age as an artist, going to local open mics and poetry slams, so it is very cool to see my name included amongst other Augusta authors,” said Evelyn Barry, a CSRA author whose name is featured on a book bench sculpture. “I think public art helps ensure that we encounter art in places it’s unexpected. It creates a space for art to be both accessible but also surprising.”
“It is wonderful and it was immediately received well by the public. When I went out to start taking photos of it, there were already crowds of people out there,” said Rhian Swain, president of the Greater Augusta Arts Council. “We are excited that Augusta has embraced public art and we love that our profile as an art city continues to grow.”
To learn more about the Augusta Sculpture Trail, visit their website.
