Client
Location: Logan, OH, United States
Completion date: 2022
Artwork budget: $32,000
Project Team
Artist/Fabricator
Jonathan Cox
Cox Fine Art
Artist/Fabricator
Wayne Stump
Stump Standards
Overview
Maple Leaves
5’4H x 9’6W x 4″D Maple wood Hocking Hills Lodge & Conference Center
Hickory Leaves
6’3 H x 10’2 W x 4″ D Hickory wood Hocking Hills Lodge & Conference Center
basswood leaves
9’H x 21’W x 4″ D bass wood, Hocking Hills Lodge & Conference Center
Goals
I was engaged by the Ohio Arts Council and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to create unique artwork in the form of wall reliefs whose subject matter reflects the natural beauty of the area. I chose to base the designs on leaves of trees that grow in the area and use wood from those trees to create the works. Since the Hocking Hills Lodge is a very spacious and open design it was necessary that the relief works be very commanding in scale. I also designed and fabricated them to provide a very tactile experience. People love the warmth of wood and enjoy touching the pieces. All were constructed with the best kiln dried woods, marine grade adhesives and durable surface finished. They will easily endure in this public setting for decades.
Process
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources contacted the Ohio Arts Council and requested a short list of sculptors within the state of Ohio that they recommended for this project. They selected me from that list to design and fabricate unique artwork for the interior public spaces within the Hocking Hills Lodge. Another artist was selected to create a single outdoor piece. We then met several times and determined that a series of wall relief pieces would be most appropriate, rather than free-standing works. I then designed the three large pieces based on the theme of leaves of trees that grow in the immediate area.
Additional Information
The Hocking Hills Lodge is a newly designed and constructed $40M project which is set like a jewel in the beautiful Hocking Hills. The area is widely known for beautiful hiking trails, stunning water features and amazing wildlife. The Lodge houses rustic but luxurious accommodations for families as well as businesses and organizations that gather for meetings and events.