Local art lovers unite to create sculpture garden
Lampasas return to their artistic roots with the creation of a sculpture garden on the grounds of the Hanna Springs Opera House. The long-abandoned site is no stranger to the arts, having played host to a variety of Gilded Age entertainers. The opera house attracted locals and tourists during the 1800s with concerts, plays, recitals and "Chataquas." Although the opera house is gone, beautiful Hanna Springs will continue to be a cultural center.
"The sculpture garden will benefit the community on many levels," local artist Nancy Gray explained. "The site at Hanna Springs will provide a way to make art more accessible. It will also function as a learning venue and a magnet for artists and art lovers." Mrs. Gray is a local artist and gallery owner. She is a member of Preservation Lampasas and a committee member for the Art in the Park project.
The first annual "Art in the Park" exposition is scheduled for Sept. 1. Three sculptors will be featured at Hanna Springs - T.J. Mabry of Lampasas, David B. Hickman of Dallas, and Carolann Haggard, also of Dallas . The artists will sculpt at the event, which is open to the public and free of charge. The separate works of the artists are expected to be completed in late October and will remain on display at the park for an extended period of time.
T.J. Mabry has designs and sculptures in museums and private collections throughout the world. The local artist, who splits her time between her country home in Kempner and her studio in Pietrasanta , Italy . She studied under Master Sculptor Octavio Medellin in Central America and has agreed to donate her sculpture to Preservation Lampasas to become a permanent piece of the garden.
David Hickman also studied under Octavio Medellin. His works have appeared in numerous national exhibits and were featured in Texas Architectural Magazine. He was named State Three-Dimensional Artist for 2004 by the Texas Legislature. He teaches wood and stone carving at the Creative Arts Center in Dallas and works on various restoration projects in his area.
Carolann Haggard is a North Texas University graduate with a Masters of Fine Arts in sculptor from the Art Institute of Chicago. She has studied at the Acadamia Di Belle Arti in Carrara , Italy . She served as project coordinator for "Save Our Outdoor Sculpture!" for the State of Tennessee , in association with the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Institute for Conservation in Washington , D.C.