Tennessee Valley Railroad teams up with Sculpture Fields at Montague Park
All aboard for…sculpture? Sculpture art that is. Things that make you think as your mind wanders into the complexity of gazing upon another person’s expressions of their own creativity. Sculpture Fields of Montague Park and the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum have joined together and invite you to relive the roaring twenties with them for a mix of the old with the new.
On September 16, the 4th Annual Fundraising Extravaganza will take place with music and refreshments for an all-out unique artistic and cultural experience here in Chattanooga.
Sculpture Fields is a 33-acre International Sculpture Park created from land donated by the Montague family that is located on the south side of downtown. Currently, there are 32 large-scale sculptures on exhibit. As an outdoor art museum, Sculpture Fields is open to the public seven days a week from dawn to dusk.
There are many well laid out walking paths to enjoy in the park going from each individual art piece to the other. Stroll by the Commemorative Forest and enjoy the wide-open spaces found in Montague Park.
wParking is free with restrooms provided. The large area is conducive to all sorts of activities including: kite flying, yoga and is also dog friendly for responsible pet owners. You know, cleanup after your pet please.
Traditionally, most sculpture gardens have been in conjunction with museum campuses or located on university campus grounds. Here in Chattanooga, having Sculpture Fields on the Southside is yet another prestigious attraction for art, education, and cultural tourism in our thriving city.
This type of exhibit is called an open-air venue with lots of room for walking to and fro from the individual statues while enjoying the wide-open spaces and views from the park. Lookout Mountain is prominently visible in the distance. This open-air type of venue is for the enjoyment of not only the contemporary art buff but also for nature itself. The setting is combined within the city’s industrial, rural and suburban elements that will make for yet another incredible addition to what Gig City has to offer to the world.
Some of the featured art at Sculpture Fields are very diverse not only in size but also in interpretation. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder and open to all sorts of creative explanation. Take the “SWIZZLE” statue for example. A structure made of fabricated steel and is open to any individuals’ own concept of “what is it?”
There are many other works by talented and diversified artisans. Materials used in the construction of these large pieces range from aluminum, steel, concrete, bronze to just about anything else imaginable. The choices are simply fascinating.
Boarding of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum train will be at 7 p.m. Authentic 1920’s era dining cars will be provided for a realistic touch to your overall experience. The 1920’s were actually the high point of railroad travel for most people at the time. If you traveled then, you likely went by train. An elegant three-course meal will be prepared by Chef David Duncan, which will be inspired from actual 1920’s menus.
The red-hot swing n’ blues music will be provided by the 9th Street Stompers. Be prepared to dance like an old time flapper girl or boy.
The event is RSVP only with limited seating. Ticket price is $250 for all of the combined events. Itinerary will be cocktails and music from 5:30 to 7 p.m. with dinner served aboard the train from 7 to 9 p.m. A special gift for a reserved table of four will receive a bottle of Champagne for the festivities. You may contact the park at (423) 266-7288 or email clifford@sculpturefields.org
To add to the authenticity of the event, the final activity of this wonderful evening will culminate in a what was then known as a speakeasy. Speakeasies were all the rage during the era because the government had instituted prohibition. In other words: no alcohol. Thus, the speakeasy was created.
Relax in the studio/residence of John and Pamela Henry for the remainder of the epic journey. While overlooking the magnificent Sculpture Fields Park reminisce about the wonderful experience you have just had. Hopefully, next year you will return for the 5th Annual Fundraising Extravaganza.
All aboard for art, music and a fine dining experience in the Noog! Reserve your tickets today for the TVRM/ Sculpture Fields fourth annual fundraising extravaganza!
Sculpture Fields is located at 1800 Polk Street just off of East Main Street, in-between Central Avenue and S. Holtzclaw Avenue, beside the U.S. Army National Guard facility.