“Night & Day,” designed by Hamed Mahmoodi and sponsored by Hidden Creek Farm for the Foothills Humane Society (Photo by Belinda King)
Art of the Horse: Celebrating the Equine Form
If you’ve visited since April the North Carolina communities of Tryon, Columbus, or Saluda, or Landrum in South Carolina, it’s likely you’ve encountered one or more colorfully decorated, full-size fiberglass horses.
Sixteen of these striking animals, all designed by area artists, will be taken to Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), 4066 Pea Ridge Road in Mill Spring, where the public is invited to view them during Saturday Night Lights beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 13. There is no admission charge.
These magnificent horses will be auctioned off at an “Art of the Horse” event at TIEC taking place from 6:30–9:30 p.m. on Friday, August 19. Tickets for the buffet dinner from 7–8 p.m. are $75 per person (capped at 125 people) and are expected to sell quickly. Three-fourths of the money raised in the auction for the sale of each horse will go to Our Carolina Foothills, a nonprofit organization, to help promote the region. The balance will go directly to the individual artist. The auction, which takes place from 8–9 p.m., is free and open to the public, first-come, first-served.
Mindy Wiener, director of Our Carolina Foothills, says, “We are thrilled and honored that this project has been so well received. ‘Art of the Horse’ has allowed us to share community art on a grand scale…”
“The Harvest,” designed by Gigi Dover and sponsored by Overmountain Vineyards.
Hamed Mahmoodi, in creating “Night & Day,” says, “I meant to interpret horse aesthetics and structure…using straight lines against the curvature of the horse in contrast.”
Lee Barker, who designed “Quilting Bea,” explained that her horse “salutes the ancient and important art of quilting…” Kim Attwooll created the “Well Read Horse,” an equine sculpture covered in the book jackets of local authors.
Barbour Taylor Bordogna painted three of the horses: “The Horse at the Fence,” “The Horse Thinks of Home,” and “The Horse in Art History” that features images of ancient and modern art. “My favorite part of participating was painting the horses!” exclaims Barbour. “I loved the challenge of a…big surface to fill and thinking about what horses have meant to me.”
Marie-Christine Maitre de Tarragon designed a sleek black stallion titled “International Destinations,” that proudly carries many of the flags of the world. Aimee Wise designed “All I Ever Wanted (Pegasus).” She says, “I always wanted a horse growing up and I thought there was an opportunity to design something close to what my childhood self would have dreamed of.”
For more information, visit ourcarolinafoothills.com. For tickets to the dinner on August 19, call Suzanne Strickland at 828.817.1079, or go to the “Art of the Horse Auction” page on Eventbrite.
