Trailing or Leading: Flowers, both natural and metal

One of the experiences of walking on MyPath is enjoying the wildflowers that display lovely blossoms along the way.

I can identify many of the wildflowers, but I frequently use the Seek app on my phone to help with identification. A lot of our Wednesday walkers can identify flowers or use other apps.

But this flower I'm looking at right now will not show up on my app. It is much larger than most flowers. And it is made of metal.

Several weeks ago, I was walking along the trail on a regular maintenance check. Another walker stopped me to talk about the trail and art. I met Thomas Maher, and several other local artists, a few weeks before, at a meeting of the new Sweet Owen Arts Commission. This new arts commission is an effort to gather and promote all types of arts in the community. It may be the topic of a future column.

On this day, Maher complimented the trail. And he suggested the addition of art along the trail would make the experience even better. I agreed. He explained that he recycles automobile and farm equipment into sculptures.

I'm a fan of art. But I also believe that not all art fits all circumstances. I started asking about his work. He shared several photos of machinery that he turned into flowers, birds and other things. Perfect. I shared my desire that the natural amenities remain the focus of MyPath. The art should work with nature, not overshadow.

Maher spent a day walking along the trail, evaluating locations and getting a feel for this project. Then we picked a day when I could meet him at the trailhead and help deliver the sculptures to their locations. As he described it, he wanted people to walk along the trail for a while, absorbing nature, before they encountered the first sculpture.

A flower greets visitors to the first major crossroads of the trail. In all, there are 12 sculptures along the trail. You may have to deliberately look for them to see them, and they blend in with the surroundings.

So far, the public response has been very positive. Some visitors have reported having a favorite sculpture. As Maher said, people, especially children, may have limited exposure to art. This is an opportunity for people to encounter art in a very approachable way, while they are enjoying the MyPath trail.

There may be more opportunities for artwork along MyPath. We already host the Owen County Public Library Trail Tale along the first part of the trail. The monthly children's stories are fun to read, and the book artwork is entertaining.

We have been in conversations about becoming a stop on the Enchanted Fairy Trail. We may bring poetry readings back to the fire ring at McCormick's Creek State Park.

There are many types of art and events that "fit" the trail. On MyPath, nature is the main show. The new sculptures by Thomas Maher, and future art, complement the natural display.

Kyle Hannon is the Project Manager for the MyPath Trail System. He has served in many community development and trail commission roles throughout the state. On many weekends, he serves as an Interpretive Specialist at McCormick's Creek State Park.