Yoknapatawpha Sculpture Trail Ready To Be Unveiled At Monthly Art Crawl

In March, 10 new sculptures were added to the Yoknapatawpha art trail in Lamar Park after the art council received 68 submissions. On April 25, the trail will be officially unveiled, complete with a double decker bus tour of the trail, in which information about the artists and the sculptures will be provided.
Several of the sculptures, which will grace the trail for years to come, can be seen below. 

The tour will take place and serve as a way to introduce people to the new sculptures, but Wayne Andrews, executive director of Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, hopes that people will return to further examine the sculptures. 
“It’s great to be on the tour to get an overview and hear about how the sculptures were installed or who the artists are and where they came from,” Andrews said. “We encourage people to go back and explore after the tour. These are large pieces, and there’s a lot to see, and walking in and around them changes perspective.”  
With the Double Decker festival only days after the unveiling of the sculpture trail additions, Andrews hopes that the trail will serve as a way to further educate the importance of the arts within the Oxford community and give visitors an opportunity to see even more of it. 
“We want to do it, so hopefully people will prolong their stay here. Maybe they’ll come in early for the trail opening and stay for Double Decker, make their way to surrounding areas, or do some activities around town,” Andrews said. “Hopefully it extends the cultural experience for people in Oxford, and that’s our goal.”
The trail opening will be a part of this month’s art crawl put on by YAC. Featuring 10 stops, the art crawl gives people a chance to see what’s new in the art community in Oxford. Andrews noted that mostly this event reminds those in attendance that there’s always something new to see.
“Often times people forget these exhibits change, and we want to reintroduce people to these spaces. We do that by giving them a glimpse of all the places around Oxford in one night,” Andrews said. “It showcases the depth of art we have in Oxford. When we first started the art crawl, we had four stops. Now, we have 10, and it solidifies and promotes the arts in the community.” 
With many different entities working together on the trail project, Andrews appreciates the dedication to the town’s art community. 
“The sculpture trail is one of the most unique partnerships in Mississippi. It’s got the university involved, the city involved, and private organizations with local artists. Everyone is working together to highlight the fact that we are an arts-based community,” he said. 
The art crawl along with the tour of the sculpture trail will begin at the Powerhouse on April 25 at 6 p.m. and will last until 8 p.m.

Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com. 
Follow HottyToddy.com on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat @hottytoddynews. Like its Facebook page: If You Love Oxford and Ole Miss…