HOGANSVILLE- The LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce is teaming up with the city of Hogansville and the Hogansville Downtown Development Authority in attempt to make Hogansville a more appealing and enticing city.

The Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Advisory Council has authorized up to 15 fiberglass hummingbird figures to be installed at different historic locations around downtown Hogansville. The project is called The Hummingbird Trail.

“The Hummingbird Trail is designed to enhance downtown Hogansville and become an interactive attraction for children and adults alike,” said Dave Marler, director of Tourism at the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce. “Each of the birds will depict a particular theme that’s based off where there installed and brochures with a story that goes with each bird to encourage children to walk the trail and learn a little about Hogansville. We are looking to give children a storybook affect and the idea is to bring more visitors into downtown Hogansville.”

Ruth C. Hancock, a local artist responsible for designing and painting the first hummingbird, is ecstatic about the project as it progresses.

“Some have asked why I volunteered my time to participate in the project. Well, I am honored to have the opportunity to help support the Hummingbird Festival by creating the first bird to be installed on The Hummingbird Trail. This was really a fun project. It was a unique challenge to work on the bird,” she said.

The fiberglass bird Hancock created is in a three-dimensional shape, has a three-foot wingspan, a life-like beak and the fiberglass piece provides the artist with a large blank canvas for an interpretation of their chosen theme. The final design for this first bird was inspired by what Hancock described as “daily life of hummingbirds, which includes traveling from flower to flower.”

This will be the first year of the project and the next step the Tourism Advisory Council wants to take is having an open call for area artists who are interested in submitting their concept for one of the birds. The artistic goal is for the piece to reveal the historic nature of Hogansville through creative and imaginative concept. Once the piece is installed it will become a stop on The Hummingbird Trail and a have a matching story to fit the set theme.

Here are the 12 locations in Hogansville and the specific themes for each hummingbird that will be installed there:

Location                                  Theme

Victoria Belle                            Bride

Victoria Belle                            Groom

Hogan Cemetery                      William Hogan

Water Tower                             Rapunzel

Royal Theatre                           Movies

Depot                                         Train

Library                                       Books

Library                                       Reading

Hogansville Elementary         Green Waves

Amphitheatre                           FDR

Festival Park                             Festival Bird

Rose Hill                                   Tea Party/Mad Hatter

For artists to participate they must be residents of Troup County, have experience at the advanced student or professional level and possess adequate knowledge of the impact of public art. Applications had to be submitted on December 15 via email to dave@lagrangechamber.com  and successful applicants are expected to be notified by Jan. 15. The final artist selection will be on Jan. 31 and on March 31 the hummingbird must be completed. On April 30, the installation of the birds will take place in the rightful location.

Each artist that is selected to participate will receive a stipend not to exceed $500 for expenses incurred.

The selection process will involve a panel of artists and community members from the public and private sector to determine the successful artist and design. Applicants who demonstrate artistic excellence and documented experience in creating outdoor/public art are encouraged to apply. The applicants that get selected will be those who display a clear understanding of the task and created a design that fits the theme and the locations of the installation.

“From a tourism perspective we think it will add another attraction and lure people in to visit Hogansville,” said Marler. “We think with the creativity of artists and the creativity of the writers who helped us produce the stories, we will have another compelling reason for people to visit Hogansville year-round to experience the Hummingbird Trail.”

If you have any questions, you can contact Dave Marler at dave@lagrangechamber.com or Page Estes at pestes@lagrangechamber.com.

Reach James Simpson II  706-884-7311, ext. 2155, or by email at james.simpson@lagrangenews.com