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Purpose-driven art:

Sculpture garden is unveiled

BLUE ROCK - Collaboration between Julie's ARTery and Blue Rock Station has resulted in a purposeful sculpture garden at Blue Rock Station.

The unveiling of 11 sculptures now welcome visitors to the environmentally-friendly home.

Julie Goodall's art students - Samantha Carrel, Matt and Jack McLendon, Maddie McGee, Ivan Miller, Landon Miller, Vance and Trey Pulley, Dallas and Delany Roberts, and Blake Swift - spent the summer designing their scarecrow sculptures, gathering materials, selecting their plot and installing their creations.

The sculptures have a purpose. The students were given the direction to create something that would scare, make noise and had movement. Their creations are scarecrows.

"What Jay and I hoped to do is to get kids from our local school interested," said Annie Warmke, co-owner of Blue Rock Station.

"The idea is to get more art in the schools to connect with other artists. We also wanted to incorporate an internship program to help develop leadership skills."

"I helped the kids get ideas for their scarecrows and get materials," said Brianna Walker, the high school intern for the project.

"This has been a wonderful opportunity for Maddie to do something she can't do in a school setting," Christie McGee said.

"This really extended her out because it took her from the paper drawing to an actual three dimensional object and for her to actually construct and assemble."

"Annie was one of my students and approached me about making the empty field into a sculpture garden," Goodall said.

"This was a dream I had several years ago when I was in Europe," Warmke said.

"Someday we hope to have sculptures made of recycled metal material."

The children used recycled and found items to create their sculptures.

"From what we did today I hope the children learn they don't have to starve to be artists. What alone is junk can be used to make art," Goodall said.

"I liked learning how to draw people," said Jack McLendon, one of the sculptors.

"The class was great for building self esteem, finding his strengths and being able to express himself through his art," Cassie McLendon said.

In addition to the unveiling of the sculptures, the students spent time meandering through a grass labyrinth created by Ashley Olwine, an intern from Miami University, who worked at Blue Rock Station.

"We're always looking for ways to mow less grass," Warmke explained. "That was the inspiration for Ashley's work."

Warmke asked the children as the entered the labyrinth, "What's some way you can bring happiness in your life for less?"

"I know," said Dallas Roberts, "Don't go shopping so you won't see things you want."

"I had a really, really, really, really good time," Maddie McGee said. "We learned to recycle and got to see llamas, chickens and goats."

Maddie used clothe, wind chimes, beads, a wreath frame, tomato cages and PVC pipe. She had the help of her mom, Christie, and her Pap Paw Larry.

The official opening reception was held Sunday, but the children's work was actually assembled in late July.

"When tour groups arrive the first thing they do when they see the sculpture is smile. When you can make someone smile without words, that seems pretty special," Warmke said.

Some of the sculptures done by Julie's ARTery students. The sculptures on display at Blue Rock Station through the end of summer. (CHRISTINE SHAW/For The Times Recorder)

Jack McLendon shows his parents, Jim and Cassie, his sculpture during the unveiling ceremony held at Blue Rock Station on Sunday. (CHRISTINE SHAW/For The Times Recorder)