Sunday, Oct. 8 was a great day for a party as a large crowd gathered to dedicate the Vision of the Arts sculpture at the Granville Arts Center.
Mayor Lori Dodson, former Mayor Douglas Athas and former Mayor Bob Day joined Council Members Scott Lemay, Robert J. Smith, Robert Vera, David Gibbons and Deborah Morris to commemorate the addition of the sculpture. Former Council Members John Willis and Anita Goebel, who were on council when the project began, also attended.
Dodson said that she was proud to be on council when the project was approved in 2015.
“We are so proud to have it installed,” she said. “It’s a vision we are looking to duplicate throughout Garland. And to finally have this as a focal point is great for downtown Garland.”
Patty Granville said that she was grateful to have such a large crowd. She also thanked everyone involved with making the sculpture a reality.
Granville and DeAnne Driver praised the work of the sculptor, Barvo, who jokingly said that he had lived with the sculpture for three years and now we could live with it forever. He also thanked everyone with whom he had worked with on the project.
Driver, chair of the Garland Cultural Arts Commission, is the dancer depicted at the top of the sculpture. When she addressed the crowd, she said that the sculpture is a “long-time dream that has come true for the Cultural Arts Commission and the city of Garland.”
Athas was involved in the project when he served on council and followed the progress while serving as mayor as well.
“I’m so proud. This is not something that just happened overnight. It has been going on for a long time. I guess I’m most proud that at the end of the day, the final product is 100 percent Garland.”