Huge Baseball Sculptures Grace First Horizon Park in Randolph County
arts, baseball, culture, first horizon park, jan chenoweth, roger halligan, two oaks studio,
When passing First Horizon Park‚ don’t be startled to find six colossal baseballs that look to be the playthings of a giant.
The baseballs are actually sculpture‚ the works of local husband and wife artists Roger Halligan and Jan Chenoweth. Through their Two Oaks Studio in Sophia‚ the pair crafted the white spheres with painted red stitching from a special white concrete mix. Each piece is five feet in diameter and weighs about a ton. The balls were installed outside the park via forklift and tractor-trailer in May 2005.
“Kids love them – they love climbing on them. And a lot of people get their pictures taken with them‚” Halligan says. “It was neat for us to be a part of that park project.”
The concept has caught on‚ and the couple is working on another giant baseball sculpture that will become part of a fountain in a Tennessee shopping center. They’re also getting inquiries from baseball parks in other states.
“A lot of art we do doesn’t have a broad appeal; it’s more abstract‚” Halligan “This is different because everybody relates to baseball.”
The couple says it’s fun to work on something that reminds them of their youth‚ although their talents take on many other forms. Chenoweth is a painter and sculptor‚ while Halligan focuses mainly on sculpting.
In past years‚ Chenoweth taught color theory at Florida State University‚ and Halligan worked as an exhibit designer for the North Carolina Zoological Park and Botanical Gardens. His flourishes can still be seen in the zoo’s puffin and desert exhibits‚ among other sites.
“That experience taught me a lot about the natural world‚” Halligan says. “I left the zoo after 12 years to pursue work on my own and in the private sector.”
Chenoweth and Halligan work together and individually on projects that include creating artificial waterfalls and sculpting fireplaces adorned with woodland animals and plants. Their works are displayed in galleries throughout the North Carolina. Halligan has a piece in an outdoor sculpture exhibit in downtown Asheboro. Chenoweth has done some teaching stints in the area‚ while Halligan mentors high school art students.
Halligan‚ who became interested in art while in parochial school in upstate New York‚ says his work has been a rewarding way to share his passion for art with a new generation.
“It’s great to see the excitement and dedication some of the students have for art‚” he says.
Story by Kari K. Ridge
Photo by Antony Boshier
