Art in the Outdoors
Over the past four years, the Watauga Arts Council has been working to improve the presence of Public Art in Watauga County. We have worked closely with the Town of Boone and the Downtown Boone Development Association to pave the way for more murals in Downtown Boone through policy changes and the installation of new work.
As a participant in community planning initiatives such as the Tourism and Development Authority’s “Imagine Watauga” campaign and the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Commission’s development of “Stake Our Claim,” we have identified specific ways Public Arts can be used to address recurring hurdles unique to our community.
Public art is a powerful catalyst for community connection, cultural enrichment, and economic vitality. It transforms everyday spaces into places of inspiration, fostering a sense of identity and pride among residents. In every form, public art is a vital investment in a community’s quality of life and cultural legacy.
Expansion of Public Art in the High Country aligns with
our mission of making the arts accessible to ALL, regardless of means, background, or ability.
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.
Support for this project graciously provided by:
Straddling the Middle Fork New River is the 100 year old, 60-foot long steel truss - an integral element in a dam system producing hydro-electricity 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 hand-made 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.
We have only just begun…
CURRENT WORK
View our gallery! We are taking you on this journey with us. We will reveal the finished artwork and include photos of planning, creation, and installation.
The Community Foundation funded our first two installations as part of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Gateway Communities program. This micro-grant paved the way for more funding.
MORE WORK TO BE DONE
The Art in the Outdoors initiative is a work in progress. Through a strategic planning process, we are laying the groundwork for a robust public art program. If you are interested in serving on the committees, offering your property for art, sponsorship or funding of this initiative, or anything else,
please don't hesitate to contact us.
If you’d like to volunteer to help out with these outdoor projects, please fill out the interest form below
Art in the Outdoors Partners
A micro-grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission Conservation Fund led to an invitation to apply for a Made by Mountains grant for Building Outdoor Communities. We received funding to hire a Public Arts Consultant to create an
Art in the Outdoors Strategic Plan.
Thank you to the AARP for supporting Art in the Outdoors with your generous Community Challenge grant. Our work on this strategic plan allowed us to apply for another grant to fund a mural tunnel project that will kick off this summer.
Thank you to South Arts for awarding Art in the Outdoors a generous grant to create ADA compliant signage to accompany public art that is currently installed Watauga County.
