LAURINBURG — On Saturday, Laurinburg plans to formally unveil a dozen new sculptures in the city’s Art Garden, as well as show off the completed McDuffie Building walk through on Main Street.

The new projects are a part of the inaugural Spring Arts Festival that will take place downtown from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout Main Street. The Storytelling Arts Center of the Southeast will also have its “Liar’s Showdown” at 2 p.m. on the same day.

“All of the art pieces are unique,” said Michael Mandeville, Laurinburg’s community development director. “My favorite piece out of the new ones is the one with the guy riding the giant bicycle.” In terms of city input on art, “we buy they the material and just let them do their thing,” he said. “I think people will like it — It’s a good thing.”

The city began mounting the dozen new pieces at their new temporary home on Wednesday. An official unveiling will take place beginning at 10 a.m. The old sculptures have been moved to a Public Works facility and they will stay there for now.

An official unveiling will take place beginning at 10 a.m. The old sculptures have been moved to a Public Works facility and they will stay there for now.

“The biggest thing to me — beautification wise — is you could see what we had sitting here before the garden, an abandoned service station, and we have transformed it into the art garden and when you first come into downtown it is the first thing you see, so I think it has made a big impact,” said Rodney Byrd, the city’s beautification supervisor. “As far as the art goes, you aren’t going to please everybody, but we have had a bunch of positive comments from this so far.”

In addition to the new walkway and sculptures, visitors can expect to hear from local bands, see dancers from Scotland County, and munch on snack from multiple vendors, according to Erin Rembert, Storytelling Arts Center director.

The new sculptures are a part of the second wave of art created by students at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke under the guidance of Professor Adam Walls, who also has a sculpture on display in the garden.

“The Laurinburg Art Garden has encouraged my students to produce more work and more large scale work specifically, and of course it has given them a venue to show that work outside of the university,” Walls said. “Mostly the students have been really excited to know their work is going to be seen.”

Although the Art Garden will be boasting new pieces, due to its popularity, the sculpture of the light poles resembling parents holding their child’s hands will remain on display throughout the second installment.

“I like that people are saying something, it shows that they are passionate about their interests, I am glad they are engaged,” Walls said, who has taught at UNCP for 11 years.

According to Walls, the partnership with Laurinburg can last as long as the city wants.

“I really like to idea of incorporating the work of other groups,” Walls said. One of the groups he mentioned was the St. Andrews art department, which the sculptor hopes to reach out to in the future.

A partnership with St. Andrews may also be in the works.

“Maybe that is something I can work on over the summer when things quiet down,” Mandeville said.

Nolan Gilmour | Laurinburg Exchange Laurinburg city employees began installing the newest additions to the downtown Art Garden on Wednesday ahead of the official unveiling on Saturday.
https://www.laurinburgexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_sculp.jpgNolan Gilmour | Laurinburg Exchange Laurinburg city employees began installing the newest additions to the downtown Art Garden on Wednesday ahead of the official unveiling on Saturday.

By Nolan Gilmour

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