Benson has new mule sculpture

Submitted by TOWN OF BENSON

BENSON — Benson is excited to announce that the installation of its mule sculpture on the pedestal at the intersection of Highways 27 and 50 is now complete.

This installation is the culmination of nearly a year of research and deliberation by the Benson Art Advisory Board. The mule — as an icon — was chosen for its obvious connection to the town and its farming heritage and the annual Mule Days celebration, and how the famed “stubborn” animal represents a drive into the future while also representing Benson’s roots.

Greenville artist Jonathan Bowling, aided by Benson Public Works and the Benson Police Department for brief traffic control, finished installing the statue Sept. 21.

Bowling is an accomplished sculptor. His commissioned works can be seen at the Public Sculpture Park in New Bern,

the Secret Garden Gallery in Ocracoke, the Chowan Arts Council in Edenton, and the Peninsula Fine Arts Center in Newport News, Virginia, among several other locations around the nation.

His unique approach to sculpture utilizes scrap metal from old vehicles, farm equipment, discarded tools and structural components like steel rebar to form something new entirely, like Benson’s mule.

Taking a closer look at his latest piece for the town, the complexity reveals itself. Bowling used wrenches for the mane and welded chain for the tail while cogs, gears, steel supports, machinery panels

and more make up the body of the animal.

The town would also like to thank North Carolina Department of Transportation Division 4 for assisting with this roadside enhancement project several years ago with the elevated landscape area/ pedestal and allowing the installation of the sculpture under the NCDOT Right of Way Art Policy.

To see a video documenting the installation of the sculpture, follow the town on Facebook at Town of Benson, NC. This opportunity was made possible by the Johnston County Visitors Bureau through occupancy taxes collected from Benson hotels, which are designated for marketing and the beautification of downtown Benson.

Bowling grew up on a small farm in Kentucky. His first sculptural efforts were the simple games of childhood such as fieldstone castles, a bridle of hay twine or a driftwood armada.

As a teenager in the late 1980s, Bowling lived in Belgium, where he

had access to the museums of western Europe. On his return to the United States he attended the University of Kentucky, where he received his bachelor of fine arts degree in sculpture and a bachelor’s degree in art history.

In 1996, he moved to Greenville to pursue a master of fine arts degree in sculpture at East Carolina, which he earned in 1999. He has been working out of his Greenville studio ever since. Bowling has shown extensively in the eastern United States, which has resulted in a number of long-term lease agreements and sales to municipalities and private collectors.