When most people think of art exhibits they picture a museum with paintings or fine sculptures, not something you drive past on a road trip. I love visiting art exhibits. I’ve been to the Atlanta Museum of High Art to see everything from Renaissance paintings to pieces by Salvador Dali. I’ve been to photography exhibits, walked through sculpture galleries, even seen examples of ancient Native American art on Tybee Island. That being said, one of my favorite art exhibits can be spotted from the car window while driving through the small town of Newnan, Georgia.
Newnan is home to a unique breed of horse. “A Horsey Affair” is an outdoor art exhibit featuring brightly painted, life-sized sculptures of horses scattered throughout downtown. The project was originally created to support the funding of a children’s museum but has since become a local highlight of the town. The horses are painted with images ranging from a tropical paradise to a series of iPhone apps, each one making a unique statement.
Art exhibits like the Newnan horses are always a unique experience. Walking downtown or even just driving through you always seem to spot one of the 25 painted horses that you haven’t seen before. I always spot a new one every time I visit and I have made it a personal goal to one day find all 25 members of the herd. They’ve become the defining image of Newnan for me, something I immediately recognize, an example of just how important art can be.
Nothing breaks my heart more than hearing about art programs being removed from schools so I always try to give any change I have to the art donation at the mall. I don’t have an artistic bone in my body, but I’m entranced and inspired by the results of others’ hard work. Where would this beautiful works of art come from if we discourage young artists by taking art out of school? Life would be incredibly boring without the kind of talent and creativity it takes to paint the Mona Lisa, sculpt the Venus de Milo, or build the Taj Mahal and road trips through Georgia wouldn’t be quite so adventurous without a herd of brightly colored horses watching from the sidewalk as you drive by.
