GREENVILLE — Two new art installations were added to the Darke County Art Trail at Bish Discovery Center and Bear’s Mill. This project is part of an initiative funded through the Ohio Department of National Resources to promote the use of the bike trails and recreational activities available through the Darke County Parks District and add public art to the county.

Representatives from both the Darke County Parks District and Darke County Center for the Arts were involved in selecting the artwork for these sites. The committee selected art that would feel natural in their settings, yet would also draw attention to the parks and serve as a unique photo op and tourist attraction for out-of-town visitors.

Kirk Seese, of Maryland, was the artist selected for the installations. Seese is a lifetime visual artist, specializing in large-scale murals and public sculpture. His work features a wide range of expertise in the design, fabrication, delivery, and installation of winning artworks across the nation.

The bear installation is located at Bear’s Mill and is made of low-poly welded steel and weighs nearly 1000 pounds. The process of transporting the bear across the creek was no easy task. It took many hands and the generous help of Spencer Landscaping to float the artwork across the creek and lift it back onto the bank and into its final location where he will welcome visitors to the trail in the woods. The finished piece also includes three concrete replicas of the millstones that are used to grind grains at the mill.

The butterfly is located at Bish Discovery Center and has a nearly 8-foot wingspan and rests on recycled kayaks that are meant to represent blades of grass. The kayaks were also selected to draw attention to the kayak launching spot near Bish. The wings are made of polycarbonate tinted with UV inks. If you watch closely, the butterfly moves when the wind is blowing. The insect’s body is comprised of recycled materials that have been collected from antique shops, including an old drive-in movie speaker and is painted with interference paint.

Ethan Brooks and Jim Nichols completed the welding work for the two projects.

Seese was grateful for the opportunity to bring his artwork to Greenville, especially since it coincided with the total solar eclipse.

“Thank you to every one of you for your overflowing spirit of generosity, friendship, kindness, and community over the past 3 days! Ethan and I had a life-giving, and powerfully memorable time in Greenville,” shared Seese.

Seese currently has public murals & sculptures located in 36 states and makes frequent trips to install new work and inspect his existing pieces.

“The feeling of developing an idea on paper, then 3D modeling it in CAD software, prepping the files to be cut from steel, gathering those pieces, welding, grinding, painting, rigging, coordinating, delivering, moving and installing, to finally getting to see people of all ages enjoy that idea on paper…in reality, is a powerful [thing]! I’m completely hooked on the process and outcome.”

For more information about the Darke County Art Trail and a map showing art locations, visit darkecountyarts.org/art-trail.

For more information about the Darke County Parks, visit darkecountyparks.org.