After a successful Grand Opening of the Holmes County Open Air Art Museum here on the property back in September, which unveiled our woodland Haiku Path, we’re proud to say that our second art installation ceremony was a huge success!

On Thursday, November 5, guests of the Inn at Honey Run were treated to an exciting unveiling ceremony to christen the second permanent art installation on the property, a nine foot tall steel sculpture in the shape of a Native American Totem Pole.  The piece was designed and crafted by local metalworking artists, Jan and Vince Bowden, specifically for the Inn at Honey Run’s Outdoor Museum and titled “The Face of the Nations.”

This piece of original hand-crafted steel artwork is a testament to the spirits of the land, the beauty of the natural world, the history of Holmes County, and of course the native peoples by whom the artwork was inspired.  This marks the first metal artwork added to our outdoor art museum and offers an exceptionally unique feature to the landscape.

The Face of the Nations Unveiling Ceremony

The evening began with drinks served in the Hearth Room as guests mingled and had some time to visit with Jan and Vince. Around 7:15pm the group was led on a short walk up the hillside by the artists who were eager to present their newly finished work to the world.

Proprietor Jason Nies recounts the event;

“As we entered the forest there was a burning caldron and 2 torches, one for Jan and one for Vince. The flame on the torches danced in the wind as the group climbed the short hill past the entrance of the Holmes County Open Air Art Museum. As we turned the corner, music was playing and then a projected video lit up the blackness of the forest, introducing the excitement of the event and the story of the art. Upon the video’s conclusion, Jan and Vince took five steps closer to the sculpture and they each lit a caldron. This started a chain reaction of fire and sparks as the fuse lines wove their way across the forest floor lighting sporadic caldrons amongst the trees, one after another,  until finally climaxing with a fiery display that snaked up the sculpture and hung there blazing in the night. The smoke was thick initially but, as the smoke cleared and the brightness of the fire surrounded the new creation, all that was seen was smiling faces from the crowd with a roar of applause. It truly was a once in a lifetime art opening experience! One that we hope to repeat and even improve upon with each ceremonial art opening at the OAAM.”

After the breathtaking fire ceremony, Jason joined the artists in saying a few words about the work that went into the art and the creative energy that fueled the statue’s purpose. After basking in the awe of the fires, the group retired to Tarragon for a coursed dinner and more fellowship and fun. Along with pieces crafted by the artists, the large dinner table displays featured raw materials and salvaged items hand picked from the Bowdens’ local studio.

The ceremony was a gorgeous success and demonstrates the kind of awe and spectacle that we expect the OAAM to conjure each time a new piece of artwork is added to the property and each time new eyes fall on this beautiful landscape. The Inn at Honey Run invites you to come visit our Open Air Art Museum any day of the week.  We’ll keep you updated with details on future art installations right here on the blog and on our Facebook page.

For more information on the OAAM, and how to submit a proposal for your artwork to be featured on the property, contact our front desk at 330-674-0011.