National Great Outdoors Month is celebrated in June and serves as a reminder to enjoy and appreciate our state parks and wildlife refuges. This observation, begun in 1998, encourages us to explore our parks and enjoy the beauty that awaits us in our natural world.
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Sumter's downtown Mosaic Garden is the result of Pearl Fryar's inspiration and design, the guidance of dedicated teachers, and the imagination of over 400 students. While Pearl arranged garden paths...
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Hedges and trees in Pearl's garden appear to flow and weave into one another, often making it difficult to see where one plant ends and another begins. The effect is created by tying the tips of...
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A typical Phil Greene canoe is a Spotlight of exotic and indigenous woods that were cut, sanded, carved and refined for six months or more. The canoes combine sculptural details with practical design...
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Tim Greene demonstrates the process of carving a bowl.
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Many students had never explored Sumter's downtown area before participating in the Mosaic Garden project. Even fewer had heard the terms site-specific, topiary, and public art. The project...
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The key to creating topiary is pruning. Pruning is the process of cutting off leaves and branches to encourage new growth and shape old growth. During the growing season, pruning is a daily affair in...
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During our visit, Nils-Udo and a team of students and volunteers made final touches to the massive nest constructed of natural materials. Donned in parkas and muddy boots, the crew finished weaving...
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The city of Sumter invited artists to experiment with nature-based art during its the Art in the Park event. Nature-based art is sculpture that uses natural materials, often materials found on-site...
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Ernie Denny's vision of a nature-based sculpture program was inspired by a dream about children playing inside a giant bronze flower. The program's "gallery" would be nestled amid rolling hills of the...
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Nils-Udo’s site-specific sculpture is often described as his "response" to an environment. Forms are inspired by the natural space in which he works. All of the senses drive the artist’s work, a...
