NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 21, 2010

Sumter to unveil Dramatic outdoor sculpture

Sumter, SC:  The City of Sumter will unveil the latest sculpture by renowned artist Grainger McKoy at 10:00 a.m., Saturday May 1. “Recovery” is the first sculpture by McKoy ever to be installed outdoors, and his first to be cast in stainless steel. 

 “Recovery” is the single wing of a Pintail Duck. It celebrates the metaphor between that fragile yet graceful instant in a bird’s flight and what all humans experience at times in their life. “Everyone is in some stage of recovery,” says McKoy, an introvert who is more at ease speaking the Gospel in the local county jail than in the spotlight of public attention. “Some of us are more aware of or affected by it than others, and to that extent, I hope the sculpture will provide strength.”

Long known for his super-realistic sculptures of birds, McKoy was commissioned by several civic leaders and supported by the City and the Friends of Swan Lake to create a landmark work to enhance the natural beauty of Swan Lake and showcase the talents of one of Sumter’s most cherished sons. The City of Sumter is extremely proud to be a part of history in the making. Swan Lake Iris Gardens continues to be one of the nation’s treasured tourist destinations and now nestled among the beauty of the black water and all eight species of swan will be a wonderful work of art. The City of Sumter’s Mayor Joseph T. McElveen Jr. said, "Grainger McKoy--his art and his life--is a credit to Sumter.  I am proud that we are able to display the genius of this Sumter native at our "crown jewel," Swan Lake - Iris Gardens, for all of his neighbors and all of our visitors to see.  I especially want to thank Mr. Phil Edwards and the Friends of Swan Lake for their generosity and cooperation with the City in making this happen."  Sister Wimberly, a member of the Friends of Swan Lake as well as a family member of the original Heath Family to donate the gardens to the city, shared her thoughts on the project. “The Friends of Swan Lake are so excited to have a magnificent Grainger McKoy sculpture in the gardens. We are so grateful to the city for the beautiful setting and all that has been done to make Swan Lake the crown jewel of Sumter. Of course, this sculpture would not be possible without the generosity of Phil Edwards.”  That sentiment is shared by many who have worked to bring a part of nature to life through the work of renowned artist Grainger McKoy at the 150 acre Swan Lake Iris Gardens in Sumter, South Carolina on May 1, 2010.

For more information please call the Swan Lake Visitors Center at (803) 436-2640.