Sculpture Reigns in Caldwell County

Caldwell Sculpts - Our Story

When the annual Sculpture Celebration began in Caldwell County in 1985, few could have imagined the impressive collection we enjoy today. 

When Dr. Henry Michaux, a Lenoir native and sculpture professor at the University of South Carolina, launched the Sculpture Celebration he hoped to encourage citizens to enjoy an  under-utilized park as much as to celebrate sculpture. Today the event, held annually on the first Saturday after Labor Day in J. E. Broyhill Park, draws sculptors from across the southeastern United States and is recognized nationally. The first three pieces of the collection were purchased in 1986. One, the metal “Pig” weather-vane, sits atop the Caldwell Arts Council in Lenoir.  Over the years, most of the acquisitions have been purchased with private donation funds at the Celebrations. Three pieces are commissioned works.

The Celebration and the permanent collection have been featured in North Carolina’s Our State magazine, on a UNC-TV special, noted in the Orlando Sentinel, and dubbed by the Charlotte Observer as the place “where sculpture reigns.”A study by Appalachian State University in 2006 confirmed that Caldwell County has the largest collection of permanent public outdoor sculpture of any community of its population in the United States.  In a recent study by the Chamber of Commerce, the collection was identified by the Magellan Strategy Group of Asheville as a “phenomenal collection of assets” that sets Caldwell County apart from other counties in the region competing for tourism dollars.  The Chamber’s website asserts the collection is recognized as part of our county’s image, tied to the legacy of craftsmanship, specifically as exhibited in our furniture heritage, and offers man-made beauty to complement the natural beauty of the area.  More than half the collection is outdoors for easy access to locals and visitors, and many of the indoor pieces are also accessible, though primarily on weekdays. 

*Internationally recognized sculptor Thomas Sayre