Watauga Arts Council Awarded $100,000 from the Education Foundation of America for the Watauga Truss Project

The Watauga Arts Council is proud to announce that we’ve been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Education Foundation of America to launch the Watauga Truss Project. This ambitious public art installation will transform a 100-year-old steel truss along the Middle Fork Greenway into a landmark sculpture celebrating the resilience of our community. We are hopeful to receive a match from the National Endowment for the Arts in order to create a more substantial structure. That award will be confirmed in January. 

This truss isn’t just a historic structure. It’s a survivor. It withstood the 1940s Flood and Hurricane Helene when so much around it didn’t. Turning it into a major work of public art gives us the chance to honor the resilience, ingenuity, grit, and determination that define Watauga County residents.

Time to Act

With this support from the EFA, we’ll move from concept to action. The project team—including sculptor DeWitt Godfrey, Appalachian State University partners, Blue Ridge Conservancy, and community stakeholders—will begin work this December. Final installation is planned for the summer or fall of 2027. 

The Watauga Truss Project will serve as a catalyst for economic and cultural vitality along the Middle Fork Greenway. The trail already draws thousands of residents and visitors; this work will anchor a growing corridor of public art, expand creative opportunities for students, and strengthen the region’s identity as a place where innovation and heritage meet.

We are grateful to the Education Foundation of America for recognizing the potential of this project and investing in the future of the High Country. Their support accelerates a vision years in the making, and opens the door for deeper collaboration as we build one of the most distinctive public art experiences in Western North Carolina.

We’ll share updates as the project moves into community engagement, design review, and fabrication. This milestone gives us real momentum. If you’re interested in serving on the design committee or joining the Art in the Outdoors Initiative Commission, reach out. We’ve built the foundation, now we’re ready to bring in partners who want to help drive the next phase.

Watauga County deserves bold public art. This is just the beginning! 

Keep tabs on the project by checking out our blog, social media, or our Art in the Outdoors page!