Red fox sculptures will
soon come to locations around downtown Hartsville, and all Hartsville-area
students of public and private schools, as well as homeschooled students, will
have a chance to create the artwork deciding their appearance.
The City of Hartsville,
Black Creek Arts Council and Hartsville Downtown Development Association are
partnering for the Red Fox Hunt, an art installation of 14 sculptures of a red
fox, the mascot of Hartsville High School. Once completed, the project will
allow for a scavenger hunt in which a list of clues leads participants to the downtown
parks, historic sites and local businesses, such as Burry Bookstore or Midnight
Rooster Coffee Shop, Courtyard & Eatery, where the foxes will be located.
Organizers are inviting
Hartsville students to participate in the project’s development by submitting
concept art for the small fox statues. Once a winning entry is selected by a panel
of contest judges, it will serve as the basis for a professionally created
sculpture to be copied for each location. The winning student will be
recognized in promotional material and during the unveiling ceremony. An
additional professional sculptor will create another fox statue, larger than
the 14 other pieces, to be installed in Burry Park on Cargill Way.
The project idea came
from students Brittany and Bennett Joyce of Hartsville. After seeing the “Mice
on Main” scavenger hunt in Greenville, the siblings saw the opportunity for a
fox-centered hunt in
Hartsville.
Black Creek Arts
Council, which assists with arts administration, funding, education, and
program coordination for arts-based organizations and artists in Darlington
County, is managing the contest and development of the project.
“The finished
installation will help connect different parts of downtown, from businesses to
the green space of its parks,” Black Creek Arts Council Executive Director
Allison Pederson said. “As a pedestrian-friendly activity serving as another
reason why downtown Hartsville is a destination for locals and visitors, the
Red Fox Hunt will promote Hartsville’s economy and strengthen its cultural
opportunities.”
For more information on
the contest, including rules and an application, visit the City of Hartsville’s
website at www.hartsvillesc.gov, or
call the City Manager’s Office at 843.339.2867.
