Guyte P. McCord Park in Tallahassee, Florida, is a serene greenspace located on the northeast side of the city. With a multi-surfaced trail for biking and walking along with plenty of open space, residents and visitors can utilize the park for a variety of activities, just like they can in various other parks throughout Tallahassee and entire northern Florida region. What makes it different is the McCord Park Sculpture Garden that features numerous works of local artist W. Stanley “Sandy” Proctor. These pieces have provided the entire park with an identity that has turned it into an attraction for audiences of all types.
Sculpture as an Asset to the Community
Dedicated to the memory of Guyte P. McCord, who served as mayor, commission and city attorney for Tallahassee, McCord Park spans 21.2 acres, and features a wide variety of unique plant species and a small pond. These natural features along with numerous benches, picnic tables and a small pavilion make it much like other parks and green spaces in the region. What makes it distinct is the Sculpture Garden that features the original works of W. Stanley “Sandy” Proctor.
A native of Florida and resident of Tallahassee, Proctor’s wildlife and figurines sculptures have earned him accolades that range from a National Sculpture Society award for his work depicting traditional realism as well as induction into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. His installations appear everywhere from the National Jewish Center Hospital in Colorado to the Living Desert Museum in California to the Florida Governor’s Mansion.
Proctor had a dream of creating a sculpture garden at McCord Park and envisioned how these pieces could become a real asset to the community. City officials were very responsive to the idea, but they needed to find an alternative way to fund the endeavor. With support from city connections, individuals from the community purchased the sculptures that were then installed and maintained by the city of Tallahassee.
Proctor’s dream has resulted in seven distinct sculptures are located throughout the McCord Park Sculpture Garden.
Connecting with the Tallahassee Community
The sculptures in the McCord Park Sculpture garden are all figurative bronze pieces that are representative of the type of work that made Proctor such a notable sculptor. “The Great Escape” shows a frog leaping out of a boy’s hand, while “Golden Games” depicts a boy in mid-chase with a dog. “Komodo Dragon” and “Anybody Home” are the only sculptures that do not depict people, but instead are very realistic portrayals of animals. All of the pieces depict either a human figure, an animal, or both.
These pieces are interspersed throughout the natural and landscaped beauty of McCord Park. They reside alongside various benches and other places for audiences to gather and relax. Members of the community use the space for organized and casual events, but this connection to the community extends to donations and sculpture sponsorships that are ongoing. Many of these benches and pavilions also feature names and dedications from community sponsors.
The sculptures themselves and the space around them are also set to change and grow. Plaques are set to be added to the sculptures that indicate who the donors were. Additionally, more landscaping around the pieces as well as an expansion of the garden itself are also being planned for the future. This continual growth provides audiences with reasons to keep coming back to the McCord Park Sculpture Garden, further establishing it as a true Florida attraction.
Creating a “Hidden Gem” in Tallahassee
McCord Park has been referred to as one of Tallahassee’s “hidden gems”, mostly on account of the sculptures that have made it so distinct. While some parks have the budget and notoriety to commission sculptures of monumental proportions, the sculptures in the McCord Park Sculpture Garden are far more modest but have made just as notable of an impact on the space and community.
In doing so, the McCord Park Sculpture Garden has been able to showcase what it can look like for a simple greenspace to create an identity that attracts attention from both residents and visitors. Critically, it has been able to do so in an especially cost-effective manner.
