Decorated horse statues honor Dixie Stampede
?We?re so thankful to have enjoyed 20 successful years in this community, so we wanted to invite folks, especially children, to help us commemorate this special occasion,? Parton said.
The horses were painted by professional artists, area school children and Boys & Girls Clubs members in each city. More than 50 hours were devoted to painting each horse which stands five feet tall and weighs more than 100 pounds. ?A Dolly of a Horse,? created by Sevierville artist Robert Tino, is a black horse with an image of Parton and her guitar. It will be displayed outside the Dixie Stampede theatre in Pigeon Forge. Each horse is mounted on a 150-pound piece of granite donated by William E. Grove owner of EMCO-WILLIAMS. ?Dolly?s Dixie Stampede is a high quality attraction that is well known for giving back to the community. I was excited to be selected as a representative of our arts community in this worthwhile endeavor,? Tino said. ?
The horses will be on display from May 2 until Nov. 5, after which each will be individually auctioned to benefit the children?s school or organization. Proceeds from the sale of the horses painted by the professional artists will be donated to a Sevier County charity of the artists? choosing.
In addition to ?A Dolly of a Horse,? other horses on display at Pigeon Forge locations are ?River Dance? by artist Beverly Jones (Dollywood?s Splash Country); ?Trillium Fantasy? by artist Vern Hippensteal (Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism); ?Horse of Many Colors? by artist Chuck Ottollini (Dollywood); ?Words To Live By? by the Pigeon Forge Boys & Girls Club (Dollywood Marketing office); ?Home of the Tigers? by Pigeon Forge Middle School (The Track); ?Diverse Cultures? by the Pigeon Forge High School (Music Road Hotel); ?Claude Monet French Impressionism? by Pigeon Forge High School (The Old Mill); ?Celebrating Graphic Design? by Sevier County High School (Quality Inn); ?Where Eagles Soar? by Seymour Primary School (WonderWorks); and ?Heartsong? by the Sevierville Boys & Girls Club (Ramada Inn).
Horses on display at Sevierville locations are ?The Earth?s Neighborhood? by Sevier County High School (Sevierville Welcome Center); ?Coat of Many Colors? by the Sevierville Intermediate School (Wal-Mart); ?Long Night into Day? by Sevier County High School (Tanger Five Oaks Mall); ?Kodak Freedom? by the Kodak Boys & Girls Club (Cracker Barrel); ?An American Tradition? by Pigeon Forge High School Future Farmers of America (Bass Pro Shops).
Gatlinburg locations feature ?Gerding the Great? by the Gatlinburg Boys & Girls Club (Park Vista Hotel); ?The White Stripes Ain?t Got Nothing on Me? by Ariell Jones (Ripley?s Aquarium); ?The Beauty of Sevier County? by New Center School (Arts & Craft Community at Treasures in the Glades Arts Community); and ?Midnight Runner? by Seymour Intermediate School (Calhoun?s restaurant).
Dolly Parton?s Dixie Stampede is a unique dinner and show experience set in a 85,000-square-foot arena. For more information, call 1-800-356-1676.