FRANKLIN - The Heard County Art Association has created a labyrinth called “Franklin’s Kite” along the banks of the Chattahoochee River.

The labyrinth is in the form of a kite to honor the city’s namesake, Benjamin Franklin, and his electrical experiments. In addition to the large meditative walk, the labyrinth features accent pieces and benches of mosaic art work. It is on the Franklin River Walk, a 1.1-mile walk paved walkway along the river’s banks.

“We developed the labyrinth in conjunction with the community’s long-term plans to make the River Walk an attraction for visitors, complete with an art walk and garden of native plants,” said Beth Burgoon of the art association.

A labyrinth is a design with a path leading to and from the center. Labyrinths have been used throughout history for decoration, play and prayer. In building the labyrinth, the Franklin community joined locations around the world as the home to one of these ancient patterns that are found in virtually every country and culture and date back thousands of years, she said.

“The goal of the project has been to unify our community through art, increase art appreciation, teach a new art medium, provide passive recreation and showcase the natural resources of Franklin’s River Walk,” Burgoon said.

“In this era when all of us are busy and hurrying to get things done, the labyrinth offers itself as a gift of ‘time-out’ to experience peace. Many people have said that walking the labyrinth is a metaphor for living our lives. The way that the path winds around and takes unexpected turns is similar to what most of us experience in our lives. In the labyrinth, the certain knowledge that if we simply keep putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward, we will reach our goal - the center - which lends itself beautifully to the idea of faith most of us must use to walk through life’s twists and turns.”

The labyrinth is along the River Walk behind the Three Rivers Regional Commission at 13273 Ga. 34 West just off U.S. 27 in Franklin.

The property for the labyrinth was provided by the Heard County Development Authority and funding for preparation and materials was provided through a grant from the Community Foundation of West Georgia.