Board members, city leaders and individuals from the art community broke ground on Tuesday at the Sculpture Fields at Montague Park, a 33-acre international and extraordinarily unique sculpture park that will contain larger-than-life monumental art.
“This isn’t just another art park; this is about enhancing culture, tourism, recreation, education and economic development with a Chattanooga city park contributing to the revitalization of the Southside,” said internationally-known sculptor John Henry who is the founding board member of the non-profit Sculpture Fields. “Sculpture parks in America draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to their home cities. Chattanooga’s reputation will be enhanced by this addition.”
In preparation of the Fields, so far:
· 11,000 cubic yards of dirt have been delivered
· The equivalent of 1,050 truckloads
· As many as 11 dump trucks, two bulldozers and one compactor have been working the site
· 40,000 cubic yards of dirt will be delivered before year’s end
· Here is a link to a YouTube time-lapse video http://youtu.be/TqaWuJPaz7I
· 14 world-class sculptures have already been delivered
“Today we are laying the groundwork to open the park to the public in 2015,” said Cathy Clifford, Sculpture Fields executive director. “Imagine miles of walking paths and landscaped gardens dotted with larger-than-life sculpture for all to enjoy. The Fields will be another jewel in Chattanooga’s popular Southside.”
The Wall Street Journal featured Chattanooga as a U.S. city that is benefitting from the expansion of arts and cultural venues. U.S. News & World Report cited Chattanooga as one of only six cities worldwide that work at creating great urban experiences. American Style Magazine readers ranked Chattanooga as the #2 Mid-Sized City Arts Destination.
For more information about the Sculpture Fields at Montague Park, call 423 266-7288 or clifford@sculpturefields.org or www.sculpturefields.org.