Artist Charles Pilkey and the sculpture he created for St. Elmo.
Public Art Chattanooga and the Community Association of Historic St. Elmo will be dedicating the newest public sculpture that was created specifically for the St. Elmo neighborhood. The sculpture will be dedicated at 7 p.m. Oct. 7 in conjunction with National Night Out. The event will take place in the heart of the St. Elmo business district on the plaza at Tennessee and St. Elmo Avenues. The public is invited to attend.
Selected by the community from a national juried art competition administered by PAC, the sculpture was created for the St. Elmo neighborhood and represents the history, diversity and spirit of this historic and vibrant part of Chattanooga.
The sculpture is made of painted steel and consists of a 14 foot diameter circle. On the periphery of the sculpture stand approximately 34 figures, each represents an important event or person in St. Elmo's history from Dragging Canoe, to the Civil War, to Chattem, to a present day hiker and an homage to the neighborhood's beloved annual Corgi Parade.
Rebekah Marr, past president of the neighborhood association says, “The sculpture is the result of the hard work, dedication, and support of many people in the St. Elmo community over several years. We are extremely excited to finally have the sculpture installed and that it so perfectly represents the history, creativity, and sense of community of our neighborhood."
Chosen from over 30 proposals from across the United States, North Carolina artist, Charles Pilkey says, "St. Elmo is inspired by the rich historical heritage of the area at the foot of Lookout Mountain. Prior to construction of the sculpture, I met with residents of St. Elmo to offer input into the design and subject matter of the work. My hope is that St. Elmo will become an iconic landmark, educational tool and popular meeting place for St. Elmo residents and their visitors."
This project was organized by the city of Chattanooga's public art program, Public Art Chattanooga and the Community Association of Historic St. Elmo. Funding was made possible through an Art in the Neighborhoods grant from the Lyndhurst Foundation, the Community Association of Historic St. Elmo and numerous private individuals and businesses in the neighborhood.
Detail of the St. Elmo sculpture