One of the initial complications of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent shut down was it all hit just about perfectly at the time we would normally see an influx of new sculptures to Krutch Park. The installation was delayed until this past Saturday, at which time they were put into place in two shifts.
There are eighteen new sculptures in all, scattered around the area from east Knoxville to Oak Ridge and the McGhee Tyson Airport, but the majority are placed downtown each year, with the biggest cluster being in Krutch Park where you’ll find the ones pictured here. There are five sculptures which remain as part of a permanent collection.
The sculptures are created by artists from across the country and this year’s collection was curated by “by local artist and UT professor of Sculpture, John Douglas Powers. Art in Public Places committee chair, Joshua Shorey of BAPO Design, planned this year’s exhibition.
The Art in Public Places program is designed to bring a rotating outdoor sculpture exhibition to the area. Begun in 2007 by Eddie Mannis and Bart Watkins, the program was expanded last year to include large-scale murals. Funding for the program is provided by ORNL Federal Credit Union, the City of Knoxville, Prestige Cleaners, the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, Zoo Knoxville, the Tennessee Arts Commission, the Downtown Knoxville Alliance, and the UT Gardens.
The spring roll out of the sculptures generally coincides with the numerous festivals and large events and large events to which downtown Knoxville is the host. The bulk of the spring this year, found downtown Knoxville mostly quiet and shuttered like many cities across the country and the world. Their placement this weekend is another marker in a return to more normal business around the city.
If you aren’t ready to return to crowds, the sculptures offer a quiet pleasure in the open air. It’s a pleasant spot to enjoy your lunch or stroll with a cup of coffee while becoming acquainted with this year’s works. It’s also worthwhile to stroll through in the evening to see The Rusted Spire illuminated and casting its shadows.