The growth of Columbia County is a testament to its allure to outsiders. The Convention and Visitors Bureau wants to exhibit the community’s appeal in physical form with one of its upcoming projects: a new art display along the Augusta Canal.
The CCVB has recently issued a request to artists throughout the area to take part in a public art project. Artists and artist teams have been urged to apply for the opportunity to create a sculpture to be displayed just to the left of the headgates at Savannah Rapids Park.
The concept of a display near the rapids headgates was inspired by what has been something of a tradition in the area since 2012, the influx of “love locks,” wherein which people come and place locks along the gates to symbolize their love and affection.
“There are thousands of them. We can’t even keep track of how many,” said Shelly Blackburn, CCCVB executive director. “So, the suggestion was to combine a place for people to enjoy public art, but also a place for people to also attach their love locks.”
The CCVB welcomed the Tourism Product Development Team, a wing of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, in a virtual visit in January for an assessment of Columbia County’s tourism assets. Several days of slide shows, presentations and guest speakers followed, and the CCVB noted an overarching theme of enhancing the county’s arts and culture in the development team’s document of suggestions two months later.
“One of the things that floated to the top, that was certainly some low-hanging fruit, was public art here at Savannah Rapids Park,” said Blackburn.
The project was thus born, and now local visual creatives can opt to be selected for a $20,000 commission.
Artists have until Nov. 1 to submit their qualifications, after which a committee will examine them in order to identify three top candidates. Those candidates will be paid a $500 stipend to design pieces for their display. The public will be able to vote via social media and the CCVB website for which proposal will be chosen.
“People that come down and enjoy the park as citizens, we want them to be really proud of this piece as well,” said Blackburn. “It’s not just to attract visitors, but it’s for our citizens to enjoy.”
The selection process is aimed at discerning the ideal sculptor for representing the county and the space. The CCVB is of course leaving plenty of space for creativity, but its few parameters for the project entail the art piece being able to blend in with the organic scenery of the canal.
“We’re looking for something that could potentially use some of the same materials that could be found around the Augusta Canal Heritage area,” she said. “We really want it to be a complement to the natural settings.”
Blackburn emphasizes that the vision for the project is to highlight the beauty of the park area, and to signify Columbia County and the symbols of love that the locks have become. She notes that, once the piece is complete and finally placed at Savannah Rapids Park, the area could potentially become a place where people want to get married.
“I think what’s important to keep in mind is that what attracts a visitor to an area is truly no different than that of our citizens,” said Blackburn. “We all want to experience great quality of life; so if we love living here and we have really cool things that we’re proud of, visitors are going to sense that same attraction, they’re going to want to come to the community and experience for themselves.”
For more information, visit www.visitcolumbiacountyga.com.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
