Something unexpected is happening along the quiet trails and tucked-away green spaces of Cashiers. It might be a towering metal sculpture emerging from a stand of trees or a bronze figure poised beside a boardwalk.
The effect is the same: you stop, you look, and you wonder —what’s going on here?
That very question is at the heart of the Vision Cashiers Public Art Initiative.
The initiative was launched by the Vision Cashiers Public Art Task Force as an extension of the WALK CASHIERS campaign – a long-range effort to improve walkability, connectivity, and livability through a five-mile network of sidewalks, boardwalks, and trails known as the Cashiers Greenway Ramble. Inspired by successful public art trails in neighboring communities, the Task Force saw an opportunity to use art to draw attention to the landscape.
This isn’t decoration for decoration’s sake. The installations are created by both established and emerging Southeastern artists, selected for their ability to create works that interrupt the familiar and make viewers see the land differently.
A key partner in the effort is The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts, which brings deep regional arts knowledge and logistical support to the project. Many of the installations are placed in collaboration with The Bascom, whose team helps identify artists and coordinate installations. The Bascom also offers artists $1,500 honorariums, while Vision Cashiers covers site-specific installation costs. All sculptures are available for purchase, offering artists exposure to new audiences while giving collectors the chance to make a work permanent.
One early favorite is “Albert,” a whimsical sculpture near the Boys and Girls Club of the Plateau. Installed originally on loan, the piece quickly became a source of inspiration for the children who saw themselves reflected in its playful form.
“Albert has a moon and clouds, which represent us reaching our dreams,” said Lucy, one young club member. Thanks to grants and private donations, the sculpture was purchased and made a permanent part of the Club’s landscape.
This July, Wesley Wofford’s “Reawakening”—a bold figurative work from a nationally recognized sculptor—will be installed at Slab Town, continuing the trail’s evolution. And this summer, young artists from the Boys and Girls Club will join the conversation by creating their own works for display along the trail as part of a collaborative program with The Bascom.
To walk the trail or learn more about the initiative, visit VisionCashiers.com/Public-Art.
Pictured | Children from The Boys and Girls Club of the Plateau with Doug McAbee’s “Albert” in 2023.
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