This first blog entry occurs over a year after our first site visit to Chattanooga during which we (Robert and I) had been invited by the Hunter Museum of American Art to look at Renaissance Park and to consider proposing a sculpture.  Now, a year later, after presenting a proposal drawing, public voting, site selection, contract, planning, planning, and more planning, Robert and I are here in Chattanooga in the process of actually constructing Place in the Woods.

Since this past Tuesday, November 3, 2009, we have broken ground, tied rebar, laid out the path, placed the rebar in the ground, installed the electric conduit for the lights, put up the construction fencing, made the foundation boxes for the light fixtures, and, today, pouring the concrete.  It feels good.  Progress.

Carol, Hedy & Dali on Cleared Site

Preparing Foundation

Pouring Concrete

Foundation Poured

Saying “we” did  all these things, is a bit misleading.  Since for these specific things, we use a general contractor (David Smith) who then hires for us his crew, a surveyor, electrician, fencing guy, concrete deliverer, and more.  Also we have equipment:  back hoe to dig the foundation, Georgia buggies to transport the concrete from the concrete truck to the site, and a whole assortment of tools.

What has been accomplished in these last few days is the result of months and months of planning.  From our endless drawings to the precise signed and sealed documents of our engineer Jim Melhtretter.  From contract negotiations with the Hunter Museum (w/our consultant Vincent Ahern) to the Museum’s leasing, from the city of Chattanooga, parkland for our site.  From hiring, through a recommendation from the sculptor John Henry who has his major studio here in Chattanooga, David Smith as our general contractor to securing, also through a John Henry recommendation, artist Isaac Duncan III as our welder.

Isaac & Robert

In the days that follow, we shall write not only about that day’s activities but also about different aspects of this project that have contributed to making it happen.  For now, we as happy to say “we have broken ground.”