Wade Wharton Sculpture Trail at the Huntsville Botanical Garden

Recently I found myself sitting at home. Bored. Nothing to do. Since I reckon this is (or will soon become) a common problem around the Valley, summer vacation having just taken affect, I figured I’d share my boredom solution: a stroll through the Wade Wharton Sculpture Trail at the Huntsville Botanical Garden.

Trash into Treasure

wade wharton sculpture trail — Plummer’s Bouquet

They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Well, it’s not necessarily just a saying any more. At least not to self-taught folk artist Wade Wharton. His artwork is a perfect example of upcycling: converting waste materials or useless products into new, more valuable products.

“I just love the word “upcycle”. It sounds so cool and explains his art to a tee!” Huntsville Botanical Garden Director of Marketing, Carol Casey told me.

Wade sees beauty in discarded objects, welding and reforming them into different types of flowers, animals, insects…and has even constructed one of the largest blue bottle trees in the country for the exhibit.

Common materials in his artwork include:

Bottles
Nails
Shovels
Fan blades
Lug nuts
Sew machine
CD holders
Rototillers

dragon fly at wade wharton trail — Dragon Fly

“I tried everything to capture these neat feelings that I’ve had,” Wade said in an interview with Roadside America. “I want people to know that after a stroke this is what you can do.”

What You’ll See

The Wade Wharton Sculpture Trail features 32 art pieces, which are spread throughout the Garden’s Trails. And I can’t think of a more perfect setting for Wharton’s work. His pieces blend seamlessly into the landscape, almost as if they had grown from the ground. I almost missed a couple of the sculptures because they fit into the landscape so well! [spacer size=”0″]

Some of my favorite pieces were:

Starving Budda
Plummers Bouquet
Praying Mantis
I Dig That
Dragon Fly

Looking at the sculptures it was hard to believe they were made from materials people would normally throw out. The materials seem destined for the sculptures. And I love the intermingling of the rough and the natural.

The exhibit even brought about an interesting partnership between Big Spring Environmental and the Garden.

Big Spring Environmental Company President Michael McClung says, “Sponsoring Mr. Wharton’s exhibit was a great fit for us since he uses discarded materials to create his art. The metal and other waste he recycles is saved from the landfill and that’s good for our community.

“Not only are we supporting sustainable art, but we’re also supporting the Botanical Garden’s commitment to environmental sustainability. It’s a perfect partnership.”

Outdoors? Really?!

Now I can already hear some of you nay-sayers and doubters, questioning my choice of activity for one reason: it is outdoors in the South. And as we all know it gets all kinds of hot and humid down here in the summer.

But don’t let the outdoor setting of this exhibit steer you away. The Wade Wharton Sculpture Trail is situated on the Mathews Nature Trail and the Dogwood Trail. Both of these trails are nicely shaded to provide relief from the harsh summer sun. I stayed pretty cool despite the 80+ degree temperature that day. [spacer size=”0″]

If You Go

Here’s a few tips to make your visit to the Wade Wharton Sculpture Trail more fun:

Bring money for water. You’ll be thirsty and will want to stop at one of the Garden’s vending machines
Download this map of the Sculpture Trail or ask for one at the Visitor’s Center
Wear sunscreen. It might be shady, but you’ll still get plenty of rays
The sculptures are on the Mathews Nature Trail and the Dogwood Trail

Who should go? If you’re wondering how old you need to be to enjoy this exhibit, I’d be hard pressed to give an number. My parents began taking me to art museums when I was about 4, and I loved it. These sculptures have nothing risque and are appropriate for all ages, and in fact can be enjoyed by the littlest members of the family. Kids will have a blast figuring out which animals Wharton has created. You could even make a game out of wondering through the trail and finding all the sculptures.

About The Huntsville Botanical Garden

The Huntsville Botanical Garden is a 112-acre garden offering five distinct festivals each year. The Garden is open year-round and features the nation’s largest open-air butterfly house, a picture-perfect aquatic garden, spectacular nature trails, numerous specialty gardens – including an interactive children’s garden – and a variety of plant collections.

Visit the Wade Wharton Sculture Trail

Where: Huntsville Botanical Garden
Address: 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue Huntsville, AL 35805
Exhibit Runs: Friday March 1, 2013 – Friday October 31, 2014
Garden Hours: Change seasonally. For details visit the Huntsville Botanical Garden website