Art and Nature
Rock City strives to serve as a leading cultural entertainment innovator. By partnering with local artisans, along with the growing festival and event calendar at the attraction, Rock City provides high level quality and variety to the hundreds of thousands of guests annually.
In just one year, Rock City Gardens has added four art exhibits to the property, all completed by local artisans. The artists and sculptures include Isaac Duncan's Perched Raptor, Roger Halligan's Iron Age, John Henry's Prometheus and John McLeod's Elder Flame.
A common thread of all the sculptures installed at Rock City Gardens is the insipration Rock City's Enchanted Trail gave to each artist and their work - the natural beauty and "quieting of the spirit" are depicted. Also, there was commonality in the use of recycled materials.
Rock City's Art Pieces
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Invitation
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Mr. Brandt began this project on January 8, 2011 and built it offsite using new and recycled mild steel, recycled stainless steel and red oak logs that had fallen from a tree on Rock City's property. Inspiration for this piece came from several sources, including Rock City itself. "The goal was coming up with a design that fit the natural feel of Rock City," said Mr. Brandt. "For me, Invitation is a testament of what can be accomplished if one simply shows up and is an active participant in life. It's a symbol and a remembereance that signifies the leaving behind of an old life and the beginning of a new one." Read the full press release (.pdf) |
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Prometheus
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Excerpts from Press Release: John Henry and crew will install his art piece "Prometheus" at the entrance of Rock City Gardens. This is an aluminum structure built in 2008, weighing 1,000 pounds. "This sculpture will beautify the doorstep of Rock City," said Andrew Kean, president of See Rock City, Inc. "We're still striving to pursue the cultivation of the area's local creative talent through opportunities like this with Mr. Henry." Read the full press release (.pdf) |
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Perched Raptor
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Excerpts from Press Release: "It is an honor for me to present the first permanent sculpture at Rock City," said Mr. Duncan. "I specifically used reclaimed materials to treat the sculpture, coinciding with Rock City's efforts of recycling and protecting the environment." Read the full press release (.pdf) |
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Iron Age
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Excerpts from Press Release: "It is about altering a place and making it extraordinary," said Roger Halligan. "Standing a huge stone upright in a particular place was some of the first public, site-specific art...I make my art with steel and concrete mostly, manmade materials found commonly in our contemporary world." Read the full press release (.pdf) |
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