They have arrived! The “Walking Man” sculptures, created by artist Levi Rinker, are here. Keep an eye out around town in Lebanon, Zionsville, Whitestown and Jamestown for these 10-foot statues. Thorntown has one by their Lions shelter.
The purchase of the sculptures was made possible in part by the Community Arts Endowment, a component fund of the Community Foundation of Boone County. The purpose of the Community Arts Endowment is to “to support and encourage art throughout Boone County.” One specific area is to “support projects of visual art” with “emphasis on projects that illustrate an intention and ability to provide access to all citizens in a non-discriminatory manner and in a way that allows cost accessibility for Boone County citizens.”
CFBC President & CEO, Kristi Reynolds said of the “Walking Man” sculptures, “After many meetings, calls, emails with art endowment funders, local city & town planners, economic development planners, elected officials, and local art directors, as well as our board, of course, it was decided to use this year’s art funds for an impactful and visual impression; something to make a statement in honor of our 25th anniversary and as a gift to our communities. With the trails being a hot-topic locally, we worked closely with local officials and planners to see how we could tie our communities together through these sculptures on and in our local trails and parks. All communities were excited to participate and receive the gifts and we think they are a fun addition to our community culture.”
This statement was emphasized by Gerry Dick at the Boone EDC’s Annual Meeting in August. “Investing in arts and culture and in things that make communities a great place to live, work and play is essential to growth and quality of life. Those buzz words—live, work, play and those ‘big idea projects’ are what will ultimately attract and keep talent. We’ve got to keep up and attract people to us and there is ample evidence that people want and look for quality of place and placement.”
The CFBC is hopeful that the sculptures will spur more art and culture throughout our county adding to the vibrancy of each community in Boone County. Check out the recent article in the Lebanon Reporter and Zionsville Times Sentinel HERE.