Robert T. Webb Sculpture Garden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Robert T. Webb Sculpture Garden |
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William Wareham's monumental painted steel sculpture "Duende" (2003) at the entrance to the garden
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| Type | Admission Free Public Art Space |
| Location | 520 West Waugh Street, Dalton, Georgia, United States |
| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Established | October 20, 2010 |
| Administered by | Amanda Brown |
| Visitors | Approximately 10,000 per year |
| Open | All year |
| Number of sculptures | 54 As of January 2021[update] |
The Robert T. Webb Sculpture Garden is a special outdoor museum in Dalton, Georgia. It's a big park, about 5 acres, filled with amazing art! You can visit for free and see over 50 outdoor sculptures.
This garden is the first of its kind in Georgia. It's run by the Creative Arts Guild, which is Georgia's oldest community arts group. The sculptures are placed among beautiful trees, bushes, and flowers. You'll find works by famous artists like Isamu Noguchi and Scott Burton. About 10,000 people visit the garden every year. It's also a great place for schools to learn about art.
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Discovering the Sculpture Garden
The Robert T. Webb Sculpture Garden officially opened in October 2010. A local business person and art lover, Robert Webb, helped make it happen. He raised money to buy many sculptures. These new pieces joined a special sculpture by Noguchi and five others already owned by the Creative Arts Guild.
Robert Webb worked with Terry Tomasello, the Guild's director, to help the garden grow. They added new art over time to keep visitors interested. Now, the garden has 52 sculptures by artists from many different countries.
In 2020, the garden celebrated its tenth birthday! They added 16 new sculptures, bringing the total to 54. Half of these new works were by female artists. Some were by Indigenous artists, and others were from Mexico or Latin America. This shows the garden wants to include art from many different cultures. Robert Webb also moved half of the older sculptures to new spots. This helps visitors see them in a fresh, new way!
About Robert Webb
Robert Webb grew up in Dalton, Georgia. He went to Emory University and started a writing journal there. He has won awards for his writing and for his work in the community.
Robert Webb is also a big supporter of the arts. He collects American art and has led the Creative Arts Guild's board of directors three times. He still helps choose which new sculptures come to the garden. He looks for art from artists, galleries, and even auctions. The garden's logo even uses his initials!
Awards and Media Spotlight
The Robert T. Webb Sculpture Garden has received lots of praise!
Governor's Award
On October 6, 2015, Georgia's Governor Nathan Deal honored Robert Webb. He received a Governor's Award for the Arts and Humanities. This award celebrates people who do great things for art and culture in Georgia.
Featured in Travel Guides
In November 2017, a travel writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper wrote about the garden. Mary Caldwell listed it as one of "6 amazing outdoor sculpture destinations in the South." It was the only place in Georgia on her list! Other places were in Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, and South Carolina.
In July 2018, Georgia Magazine also featured the garden. Writer Kathy Witt said it was one of three places in Georgia that "connect people with nature, art and one another."
Local Recognition
On October 17, 2020, the Dalton Daily Citizen newspaper wrote an article about the garden. They encouraged local people to visit. They mentioned the new sculptures and how safe it was to visit outdoor places during the pandemic.
Special Sculptures to See
Robert Webb chose the sculptures to show different ways art can be made. Some are carved, some are cast, and others are put together from different pieces. He also wanted the sculptures to "talk" to each other.
In each part of the garden, some big sculptures act as "anchors." For example, in the "Ken and Myra White Magnolia Crescent," you'll see Duende by William Wareham and Spreader by Guy Dill. These large works help define the space.
In the "Founder's Garden," sculptures like Simoon by Ken Macklin and Seedling by Don Lawler are important. Inner View Deeper and Seedling are great examples of stone carving. Artists used both old-fashioned tools and power tools to create them. Many other key sculptures in the garden are made by welding steel.
The Garden's Future
The sculpture garden wants to reach even more people. It's open from morning until night every day, all year round. There are no gates or barriers. You can even use your cell phone to hear stories about the sculptures!
The Creative Arts Guild's website also has videos of many sculptures. This lets you explore the art online. The garden plans to add more sculptures in the future. Their goal is always to make sure visitors have a close and special experience with the art. They also want to make sure new art fits well with the old.
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