Darke County Center for the Arts & Darke County Parks announce statue unveiling on the Darke County Art Trail in honor of Jim Buchy. The newest installation will be revealed to the public on Friday, October 6 appropriately sited along the Buchy Mile of Darke County Parks’ Tecumseh Trail, across from the Garst Museum, 205 North Broadway in Greenville honoring iconic Darke County legislator Jim Buchy. State and local dignitaries will be in attendance to recognize Mr. Buchy, who says that he “is honored and humbled to find himself the subject of a work of art that will preserve his image for generations to come.”
“As patrons and supporters of DCCA Jim & Sharon Buchy shared their commitment to the importance of the arts in our community, which continued through Jim’s work in the Ohio House of Representatives.” Stated DCCA Executive Director Andrea Jordan. “The Buchy Bench is an art installation and sculpture meant to inspire hope while standing in quiet reflection of remembering the past, recognizing the goodness and beauty around us, and striving to work together towards a brighter future.”
Darke County’s Art Trail opened just a little over a year ago with the unveiling of a statue of Native American hero Tecumseh at Shawnee Prairie Preserve.” In the interest of the community, we serve the Darke County Art Trail is presented by DCCA as a unique collaboration with the Darke County Parks district, Wayne HealthCare & the Darke County Visitors Bureau with support from ODNR, the Darke County Endowment for the Arts, The Ohio Arts Council and funding through the state capital budget” stated Jordan.
“Thank you for recognizing that the arts and arts experiences are integral & necessary to our overall health and well-being. That by supporting the arts and working to make arts accessible to everyone benefits not only the citizens of Darke County and continues to add to the quality of life in our community, but it also provides tourism opportunities and benefits our local businesses and economy, “Jordan concluded with gratitude.
The Buchy Bench, sculpted by Union City-area artist Joshua Shepherd who also created the Tecumseh statue as well as the statue of Miami Chief Little Turtle which stands in Greenville City Park, depicts its subject as he presently appears, an elder statesman rather than an active politician. Mr. Shepherd found his subject to be gracious and patient as the sculptor’s calipers measured Mr. Buchy’s head and facial features, a necessary step in creating an accurate likeness; those much-appreciated qualities as well as his subject’s whimsical sense of humor were the characteristics that the sculptor hoped to capture in his artistic endeavor.
The impressive work of Joshua Shepherd can be found across the United States as well as locally; a full-time artist since 2000, the self-taught sculptor started sculpting right out of high school, taking up the activity “just for fun” due to his interest in history; an enthusiastic customer base developed, eventually leading to a full-time career. Although he will be working on a pair of new statues honoring Civil War participants for the next several months, the busy father of five is looking forward to attending the dedication of his latest completed work and hoping to watch Mr. Buchy enjoy his richly deserved very special day highlighted by the unveiling of the newly created sculpture.
Soon, hikers on the Art Trail can take a seat beside a bronze Jim Buchy sitting on the Buchy Bench. And not long after that, more new art will be gracing other Darke County Parks. The Art Trail Committee is currently choosing the artist who will produce a new installation at Historic Bear’s Mill and will soon put out a call to artists for a planned work of art to adorn Bish Nature Center; both of these additions will be in place before June 30 of next year. A new map citing expanded attractions currently included on the Art Trail will be available for distribution at the unveiling of the Buchy Bench, offering tourists and local residents an opportunity for further exploration of accessible art in our community.
The Buchy Bench addition to the Darke County Art Trail will be a shining gem as DCCA presents its 45th “Sapphire Celebration Season”. The non-profit county arts council strives to provide outstanding arts experiences throughout Darke County continuing its mission of making all arts accessible and helping make our community a great place to live. Find out more about DCCA, DCP, and the Darke County Art Trail at DarkeCountyArts.org and DarkeCountyParks.org.
Photo (provided): Jim Buchy with Joshua Shepherd’s Buchy Bench sculpture in clay form. The finished public art installation will be unveiled on Friday, October 6, starting with a Community Social at 3:30 pm and all are invited to join the celebration.