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Fly Arts Center wins state arts grant for public horse sculptures
Summary
Fly Arts Center representatives told the Shelbyville City Council they received a $14,160 Tennessee Arts Commission grant to fund a public-art “Champions on Parade” project featuring life-size horse sculptures painted by local artists and displayed around Bedford County.
Tabby Stem, co-theatre director of the Fly Arts Center and acting vice president of its executive board, told the Shelbyville City Council on Aug. 14 that the nonprofit has received a Tennessee Arts Commission grant for a public-art project timed to the organization’s upcoming centennials.
The project, which Jennifer Malloy, director of marketing and public relations at the Fly Arts Center, called “Champions on Parade,” will place at least six life-size fiberglass horse sculptures in public locations around Shelbyville and Bedford County. “We’re going to be doing that right here in Shelbyville and in Bedford County with our Champions on Parade campaign,” Malloy said.
The Fly Arts Center plans to commission only Bedford County artists to paint the sculptures, pay each artist a stipend and encourage designs tied to local history and the county’s horse heritage. The organization also plans an online map so residents and visitors can follow a self-guided scavenger hunt to view the sculptures and learn about county history through the artworks.
Stem said the grant award is $14,160 and that one horse will be displayed at the Fly Arts Center with others sited on the town square and at publicly accessible locations across the county. “We will also be looking to the city to give us advice and help us with installation,” Malloy said when council members asked how the city might be involved.
Council members asked where the horses would be mounted and whether the city’s role included assistance with installations on city property. Malloy said the Fly Arts Center seeks partners across the county to host and sponsor pieces and to advise on correct installation methods.
Applications for artists will be accepted at flyartscenter.com; the Fly Arts Center said a committee will review designs and limit artists to one horse each to provide opportunities for more local artists. The Fly Arts Center also plans to provide an artist studio space for the project.
The presentation came during the meeting’s public-comment segment and drew several procedural questions from council members about siting and the city’s role in installation.
