The Art & Sculpture Trail meanders through Blowing Rock, stopping at all of the installations that have popped up over the years making the town more beautiful and interesting. In addition to numerous galleries and the first-class Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, Blowing Rock is home to a growing collection of art that can be enjoyed by strolling through town. See conceptual and portrait sculpture, outdoor murals, carvings, and paintings on a self-guided tour.
- To start this trail, park at Shoppes on the Parkway and begin at the sidewalk by 321 Bypass/Valley Blvd. There you’ll find an installation that is part memorial to Camp Catawba for boys and its creator Vera Lachmann. Information about the camp is raised up by metal flowers, representing the blossoming of the young men that attended.
2. Make your way down the sidewalk past the parking lot for Middle Fork Greenway, and onto Main St. you will see Lotus Blossom. Made of wood and covered with rusted tin roofing, Lotus Blossom is proudly displayed by Chetola Resort off of Main St. before their main entrance. Sculptor Beau Lyday, notes that the lotus blossom is a sacred symbol in Hindu and Buddhist religions, referring to rebirth and reincarnation.
3. Continue along the sidewalk past Chetola’s main entrance and on towards the center of town. Off to the right you will see Norma’s Flowers located in the yard of the Suddreth Cottage. A piece by the sculptor of “metals and motion,” Mike Roig, this kinetic bouquet stands in the front yard of a cozy rental cottage on Main Street. A swirl of birds take flight around large, whimsical flowers. Norma Suddreth, who owns the cottage, is passionate about art and gardening. All are welcome to take a closer look, but please be respectful of any potential guests at the cottage.
4. Take a left into The Meadowbrook Inn and proceed into their gallery where they focus on different local artists, and rotate displays regularly. This is a great place to visit whenever you’re in town and see what they’ve curated for their gallery. Leave Meadowbrook Inn and head out to the left towards Sunset Drive.
5. On Sunset sits a little red cottage called A Stone’s Throw; there find Smokey the Owl for you to look at and take pictures with. Smokey traveled all the way to NC from San Diego, CA., and was created by artist Kim Ogbern. A kinetic sculpture, Smokey turns with the breezes here in Blowing Rock.
6. Head up Sunset towards Main St. and you will see The Inn at Ragged Gardens. They have a statue to the right of the main building called Girl with Doves. Sculptor Richard Wayne Hallier created this piece in his realistic style. The girl seems to dance as doves flock around her.
7. Head back up to Main St. and check out the building housing The Gilded Lily by Patra, and neaco. Perched on the side is, Flora of the Mountains by Robert Johnson. Johnson is from Burnsville, NC and was inspired by local trees, flowers, and plants.
8. Walk to the left on Main St. until you reach Morris St. Head down Morris St. and you will see Jewel Fish on the right in front of Gaines Kiker’s gallery. Local silversmith and goldsmith Gaines Kiker creates beautiful jewelry, however, he works on a larger scale as well. Jewel Fish is made of metal and rock, and is displayed in the garden of his gallery.
9. Continue down Morris St. just a short way and find the Hemlock Inn. Natives of Blowing Rock sits just above the front door of the Inn. Carved out of two huge logs, this sculpture depicts native animals of the area. It was created specifically for Hemlock Inn by Dayton Scoggins, an established chainsaw sculpture artist who does demonstrations and creates custom works.
10. Turn around and return to Main St. Continue to the left until you reach St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church. Here you will find The Annunciation mounted on the gable facing Chestnut Dr. The work has a verdigris finish and was gifted to the church by sculptor Alex Hallmark.
11. To the right of St. Mary of the Hills’ belltower, you will see a playground. Continue past the playground and, if the gate is open, enter the Mary Garden where you will see The Offering. Sculpted by Marjorie Daingerfield, daughter of famous painter Elliott Daingerfield, The Offering was first molded from clay then cast in bronze. The Daingerfield family attended church at St. Mary of the Hills when they summered in Blowing Rock. If the church is open, enter to see a large fresco donated to the church by painter Elliott Daingerfield.
12. Cross Main Street where a bronze statue sits on the lawn of Edgewood Cottage. The piece is called Elliott Daingerfield En Plein Air. Edgewood Cottage is the first home Daingerfield built in Blowing Rock. The statue depicts the painter standing outside painting St. Mary of the Hills. The sculpture was finished in 2017 by artist Brenda Councill.
13. Return to Main St. and continue left towards the heart of town. You’ll come to Memorial Park where The Gardener, sculpted by Alex Hallmark, sits in the garden looking happily at her surroundings. In winter, she is a patient guardian of the garden, and looks just as beautiful in a snow drift as surrounded by greenery and blooms.
14. Continue on Main St. to the right until you come to the Blowing Rock Community Library. Jesse sits out front on a bench waiting for you to sit a spell and take a picture with her. She patiently reads a book while the world goes by. Created by Charlotte artist Cantey T. Kelleher, Jesse was donated to the library by the Tomlinson family in honor of Grace Carr, a Blowing Rock librarian.
15. Now turn left down Park Ave. and continue until the road turns into Wallingford St. Just around the corner to the left look at the building there and you will see the Blowing Rock Postcard mural. Commissioned by the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, this mural was created by Chapel Hill muralist Michael Brown. It depicts local landmarks and activities in each letter.
Bonus:
B1. Eat at Timberlake’s in Chetola and see many canvases and signed prints by its namesake, Bob Timberlake. A prolific NC painter, Timberlake has been visiting Chetola Resort for many years and eventually entered into a partnership with the property. The restaurant is open for reservations.
B2. Eat at Bistro Roca and Antler’s Bar to see pictures of people’s pets on display. These black and white photos are framed identically and create a striking impression on the walls of the bar. This gallery is so large and people are so proud of their pet’s portrait that room is scarce. Local photographer Dale Marie takes these sweet photos.
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