John Henry wants Chattanooga to be known for things other than "its high-speed internet." Things like, say, art.
So Henry, a Chattanooga sculptor, explored the idea of turning an abandoned city park into an outdoor art gallery. He partnered with then-Sen. Bob Corker to create the Sculpture Fields at Montague Park, a 33-acre sculpture garden and gallery, the biggest of its kind in the Southeast.
Though started as a nonprofit a few years prior, the park officially opened in 2016 and has since acquired 35 large-scale sculptures from around the globe.
The park also offers more than a mile and a half's worth of walking paths and a commemorative forest with 120 native trees, with plans for bird and butterfly gardens and an amphitheatre.
"We've created a first-class outdoor creation of sculpture that takes sculpture off of the pedestal and outdoors. That was the objective," Henry said.
Catherine Clifford, executive director of Sculpture Fields, says the park "has provided an opportunity for people who may not have access to a museum. This is an outdoor museum where people can come and visit anytime, see the sculptures and experience it on their terms."
The park is free, open seven days a week, and is dog-friendly. It's also home to an education program that invites schools and students to view sculptures and spend some time outdoors.
To help more students be able to experience sculpture on their own terms, the park is hosting its fifth annual fundraiser, All Aboard for Sculpture, Nov. 3, with proceeds benefiting the education program. Guests are invited to enjoy wine and cheese pairings, cocktails and dinner on the Tennessee Valley Museum Train, as well as after-hours music, dancing and a light show at the park.
Since its last fundraising event, Sculpture Fields has hosted more than 24 different local schools and over 1,000 students.
Next year, the experience is expected to grow even more. The park hopes to acquire 70 large-scale sculptures sometime next year.
"I see an expanded collection and an asset for the educational community," Henry said.
But it's also an asset to the community at large, he says.
"Sculpture is a benefit to any community, as we've seen over the last several thousand years," said Henry. "Places like Egypt and most of Europe are known for architecture, landscape and art. We are contributing to that legacy for our own community."
He noted that though Sculpture Fields is a city park, it is completely privately funded for the people of Chattanooga.
"The community really needs to support it. This is the community's park," he said.
The fundraising event starts at 5:30 p.m. For reservations, call 266-7288, email clifford@sculpturefields.org or visit sculpturefields.org.
Sculpture Fields is located at 1800 Polk St.