6th Annual Sculpture Trail

Congratulations to "Virginia Horse" and sculptor Jonathan Bowling - you took home the prestigious People's Choice title and the $1,000 prize! Hear Bowling talk about how he shaped this life-sized equestrian artwork! He made it all with re-purposed steel - all his pieces have a history, and we love that he's made something new!

We hate to see this horse trot away and all of the amazing sculptures this year. We love our rotating art and can't wait to see what's next!

Clayton's reputation as an arts community is growing. A record-setting number of sculptures are being submitted for our annual rotating outdoor exhibit, now about to head into its 7th year. Artists from as far as Florida and Indiana have submitted works to be displayed throughout Downtown Clayton. Thank you for all of the submissions for our 2019 to 2020 trail!

For this current year, the annual rotating exhibits, selected by the Public Art Advisory Board, range from a 7-foot-tall horse sculptured from re-purposed steel ("Virginia Horse" by Jonathan Bowling) and a 12-foot tall oak leaf archway to a piece entitled "Brave New World" that examines the transforming of our world by genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and fast-developing technologies whose practical and ethical implications are not yet fully understood. The sculptures are turning heads and have people talking!

See the full sculpture brochure (PDF) and take a walk to see them all for yourself!

Here's the list of the sculptures featured in this year's trail and their locations. Hear from the artists themselves as they talk about their artwork on display here in Clayton!

• "Oak Leaf Arch 2" by Jim Gallucci at Town Square (West)
• "Core Revisited" by Adam Walls at Town Square (West)
• "Virginia Horse" by Jonathan Bowling at Town Square (Center)
• "Warrior Mask" by Valerie Jean Schafer at Town Square (East)
• "Ark" by Charles Pilkey at Town Hall/The Clayton Center (Second Street)
• "Tribute to Veterans" with special thanks to Clark Hipolito (permanent sculpture at steps of The Clayton Center auditorium)
• "Brave New World" by Charles Pilkey at Hocutt-Ellington Memorial Library
• "Icarus Stele" by Paris Alexander at Revival 1869 - A Drinkery on Main Street
• "Gypsy Passion" by Hanna Jubran at Horne Square (West)
• "Three Muses" by Valerie Jean Schafer at Town Hall/The Clayton Center (Horne Street)
• "The Dancer" by Stephen Zawiskowski at Horne Square (Center)
• "Sea Glade 2" by Cathy Perry at Horne Square (East)
• "Earth, Water, Fire, Wind" by Hanna Jubran at Roundabout Bent Tree Loop Road
• "Wave Beyond Convergence" by Chris Morgan at Clayton Community Center

The Public Art Advisory Board's selection committee for this year's trail is comprised of local artists, residents, business owners, elected officials, civic leaders and Town staff.

For lending us their work, the artists receive a $1,000 honorarium for each sculpture on display for the coming year. In addition, each artist will be eligible to compete in a People's Choice vote, in which the public selects the winner of an additional $1,000 award. We also proudly feature the artists' work on brochures that are distributed to businesses and organizations throughout the area. The artwork is switched out every year around June.

Want to have a say about public art in Clayton? Fill out an application to join the Public Art Advisory Board, a group of dedicated volunteers responsible for the Clayton Sculpture Trail and the colored fish that adorn Sam's Branch Greenway.

• More information about arts and events in Downtown Clayton
• Look back on your favorite sculptures from years past