Leadership Hartsville’s Class of 2013 has taken on the project in an effort to promote Hartsville’s cultural development. Tales on the Town will provide a pedestrian-friendly scavenger hunt activity incorporating a promotional brochure and website.
Hartsville’s Black Creek Arts Council helped get the project off the ground last November with a design contest, calling for all Hartsville-area students to submit concept illustrations for the fox sculptures. The design created by Hartsville High School’s John Byrd has been named Best Overall Design, and will serve as the basis for the final sculptures. Claire Brown, also of Hartsville High School, produced the artwork selected as Best Cartoon Design, an illustration which will be included in all of the project’s promotional materials.
Leadership Hartsville has selected B.J. Coughlin, an Atlanta-based award-winning sculptor, to mold and cast the bronze foxes. Coughlin has studied with renowned master sculptors and her work has appeared in juried shows around the region and nation.
The inspiration for a series of red fox sculptures which will allow for scavenger hunts around downtown Hartsville came from Hartsville students Brittany and Bennett Joyce, the children of Lyn and Bunky Joyce. The siblings, recalling Mice on Main, the installation of mice statuettes found in downtown Greenville, S.C. which they had found to be a fun way to learn about that city when they were younger, envisioned a similar attraction for Hartsville. With encouragement from their mother, the two developed details for a red fox sculpture hunt and presented it to Hartsville Mayor Mel Pennington and City Manager Natalie Zeigler.
“As a family, we have always emphasized the importance of community service,” Lyn Joyce said. “Brittany and Bennett thought a fox hunt would be a fun way to showcase Hartsville’s history as well as its vibrant and welcoming downtown. Hartsville is a great place to raise children, and we are thrilled to work with Leadership Hartsville and the City to make Hartsville even better.”
Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce Johnna Shirley praised Leadership Hartsville’s Class of 2013 for working to make Tales on the Town possible. “
The Leadership Hartsville Program has allowed our fifteen members to learn about the history of Hartville and understand the importance of volunteer leaders, and where they can get plugged into leadership roles,” Shirley said. “This has been a great class and I thank the employers for allowing them to participate, encouraging their involvement in community leadership. By undertaking the Tales on the Town project, this Leadership Class is already having a positive impact on the future of Hartsville.”
Tales on the Town has an estimated cost of $15,000. The Duke Energy Foundation has provided a seed grant of $2,000. Major sponsors contributing $1,000 or more include SPC Credit Union, the Sonoco Foundation and the City of Hartsville. Additional sponsors include Coker College, Mutual Savings Bank and Coldwell Banker Segars McMillan. Lyn and Bunky Joyce have made an additional donation which will allow for a special life-size red fox sculpture for Burry Park, located in downtown Hartsville.
Donations continue to be accepted. Any business or individual giving $1,000 or more will be recognized on a marker in Burry Park and in all promotional material. Donations may be made by checks payable to the Community Foundation for a Better Hartsville and mailed to the Community Development Foundation for a Better Hartsville, Attention: Leadership Hartsville Project, P.O. Box 578, Hartsville, SC, 29551.
Additional information for the Tales on the Town project may be found at the City of Hartsville website.
John Byrd of Hartsville High School created the
winning submission for Best Overall Design which will be used as the basis for
the bronze fox sculptures.
Sculptor
B.J. Coughlin has created a clay model for the bronze sculptures to be made for
the Tales on the Town project.
