Pearl Fryar will be in attendance as the Arts & Education Council partners with the Tennessee Aquarium and the Shaking Ray Levi Society to host a special screening of A Man Named Pearl on Saturday as the first event in the AEC’s 2008 Back Row Film Series. The public is invited to attend a topiary demonstration by Mr. Fryar on the Tennessee Aquarium Plaza at 5 p.m. followed by the film screening and talk by Mr. Fryar at 6:30 p.m. in the Aquarium auditorium.

The topiary demonstration is free and the film screening and talk are $5 for AEC and Aquarium members, $10 for non-members. Seating is limited. Tickets are available at the door or in advance by calling the AEC at 267-1218.

Co-produced by Chattanooga’s own Shaking Ray Levi Society, A Man Named Pearl is a “subtle and intriguing film that opens both hearts and minds. It offers an upbeat message about respect for both self and others, and shows what one person can achieve when he allows himself to share the full expression of his humanity,” officials said.

“The AEC is pleased to offer Chattanoogans the chance to see this award-winning film before its release in larger cities,” says Maury Nicely, AEC Board member and event organizer. “Pearl and his film offer a message of peace and hope that transcends all racial, ethnic, social and economic barriers. This event exemplifies AEC’s mission to provide unique opportunities for lifelong learning in the arts for all members of the community.”

Mr. Fryar says it all started when he decided to spruce up his yard and try to win the yard-of-the-month contest in Bishopville, S.C. “Once I got started, I couldn’t stop,” he told a writer for Charleston magazine in 2006.

Although he lived outside the city limits, the local garden club did recognize him with the Yard of the Month, not once but three times.

Mr. Fryar started out salvaging seeds from a local nursery in order to manicure and sculpt his yard to convey a message of peace, love, and goodwill. His finished product caught the eyes and admiration of friends and art and botanical enthusiasts alike, eventually finding its way onto the small screen on CBS' Sunday Morning and onto the big screen in a documentary feature film called A Man Named Pearl.

In a few years, and using just his own labor, resources, after-work time and artistic vision, Mr. Fryar created a three-acre topiary garden that has won an international reputation. Much of the plant materials in his garden were cast-offs, nurtured by Mr. Fryar into topiary sculptures featuring a range of styles – from tightly manicured geometric compositions, figurative shapes, and monumental abstractions to “junk art” sculpture. Thousands, including many school groups, visit Mr. Fryar’s Topiary Garden each year, which is one of the many reasons why the Garden Conservatory selected it as a Preservation Project.

In addition to the May issue of Smithsonian, Mr. Fryar has been featured in the New York Times, on Home & Garden TV, and in garden magazines and programs around the world. His work has been in museum exhibitions from Bishopville to Baltimore, most notably at the American Visionary Art Museum, the South Carolina State Museum and Spoleto Festival USA. Winthrop University most recently recognized Mr. Fryar with a 2006 Medal in the Arts, which acknowledges and recognizes the unique roles of individuals and groups who have made a significant contribution to the arts, as well as those who have positively impacted the quality of the cultural life in communities across the Carolinas.

Mr. Fryar lectures around the country and is artist-in-residence at Coker College in South Carolina.