by Marilyn Delk |
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, continues to grow in an interesting and inviting fashion. In just two weeks, on Friday, October 6, the newest installation will be revealed to the public—a sculpture, appropriately sited along the Buchy Mile of Darke County Parks’ Tecumseh Trail, 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.
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 addition 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 opportunity for further exploration of accessible art in our community.
Among those sites offering visual artistic delight is the impressive mural created a few years ago by Mississinawa Valley art students which transformed a once-ugly Union City viaduct into a charming work of art. Also included on the Art Trail is—well, something completely different–the ever-changing patterns on the much-revered and sometimes reviled Maid-Rite gum wall. The diversity continues with two architectural treasures within the City of Greenville, St. Clair Memorial Hall and Greenville Public Library, both structures offering further beauty inside the buildings as well as in the obvious elegance and grace of their exteriors. Many more old and new, popular and/or previously unnoted wonders found along the highways and byways throughout Darke County await your discovery and notice.
Darke County Center for the Arts has recently created a new position to oversee the development of the organization’s contribution to the Art Trail in addition to coordinating exhibits in the Anna Bier Gallery and directing other visual arts programs, and is in the process of hiring an Artistic Director of Visual Arts to accomplish those tasks. With this addition, DCCA looks forward to the exciting prospect of offering even more opportunity to experience the joy and inspiration offered by public art throughout our community.