Current Public Art Projects in the works!
Pieced Poles of the Blue Ridge
A collaborative community program blending art, culture, and nature, piece by piece
Project Timeline: 2026 - 2027
You’re invited to get involved!
Under the guidance of project lead artist Cindy Michaud, and through a collaboration with the High Country Friends of the Blue Ridge and the Watauga Arts Council, individuals and groups can get involved in the following ways:
Be a part of a sculpture design and build group
Recruit, form, and organize new groups
Be a group leader or part of our planning committee
Help install finished sculptures
Become a sponsor or partner
PROJECT MISSION
This project brings people together across the Blue Ridge Mountains to build public sculptures piece by piece that celebrate our cultural and environmental heritage. Our community is using materials salvaged from waterways in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and repurposing them into striking “Pieced” Poles, turning environmental disaster into a collaborative symbol of regional resilience.
Learn more about projects of the High Country chapter of Friends of the Blue Ridge and sign up to participate in the Blue Ridge Piece Poles project
Watauga Truss Project
Straddling the Middle Fork New River is the 100-year-old, 60-foot-long steel truss - an integral element in a dam system producing hydroelectricity for the Town of Boone and Appalachian State University. No longer functionally required for its intended purpose, the truss is being removed to accommodate a pedestrian bridge, which is part of an eight-mile ADA-accessible trail paralleling Highway 321 connecting the Towns of Boone and Blowing Rock into a public art and recreation corridor.
This historic handmade truss remains an important symbol of ingenuity and resilience, having remained intact following the catastrophic flood of 1940 and Hurricane Helene.
Our partners at the Blue Ridge Conservancy were going to have to remove and demolish the structure as part of their trail expansion. The truss withstood the 1940s flood and, more recently, Hurricane Helene. It stands as a testament to our residents’ grit, resilience, ingenuity, and perseverance.
The Watauga Arts Council (WAC) in partnership with the Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC), Watauga County Commissioners, Appalachian State University (ASU), and the Tourism and Development Authority (TDA) are working together to preserve this asset by reusing its original raw material to create a large-scale gateway sculpture to be located at the new Boone Gorge Park along the greenway and within a 31-acre tract owned and managed by BRC. This addition to the public art corridor being conceived and developed by WAC will be a focal point for educational programming and making the Park a central hub for cultural, historical, and ecological engagement.
Conceptual planning, design, and fabrication of the Project will be led by nationally recognized public artist DeWitt Godfrey, whose professional career is dedicated to monumental artworks employing repurposed metals. Godfrey was selected by WAC with assistance from an arts advisor; his award for this commission was based on demonstrable expertise with older metals; capacity to design and fabricate large-scale outdoor works of art; experience with engineering and landscape disciplines; and, professional teaching qualifications.
Project in Progress
Artist: DeWitt Godfrey
Proposed Project Dates: January- 2026 - November 2027
View Project Photos Here
View Site Plans Here
View Historic Documents Here
Please contact us for more information about the project or to get involved. This project is intended to be a community engaged experience.
Generous Support Provided By:
MORE PROJECTS WILL BE ADDED SOON!!!
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