Located just outside of the Bologna Performing Arts Center on the campus of Delta State University, you’ll find the Hazel and Jimmy Sanders Sculpture Garden. Since its inception in 2000, the noteworthy collection has grown to include over 20 permanent pieces. Between new pieces being added every couple of years and the ever-changing exhibits, the diverse garden is truly a sight to see.
The idea for the sculpture garden came to Pam Matthews after she moved to Cleveland with her husband, who had just been named the President of Delta State University.
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At the time, the Bologna Performing Arts Center had recently been completed, and Pam thought the area outside the center would be the perfect location for a sculpture garden.
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In order to build a noteworthy collection and create a truly unique garden, Pam proposed having a biennial competition.
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The competition would bring in ten new pieces every other year, and at the end of the two year period, one piece would be chosen to become a part of the permanent collection.
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Sadly, Pam passed away in 2004, at which point her friend and fellow artist Nan Sanders began overseeing the sculpture garden.
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Nan’s mother-in-law Hazel generously funded the project, and by 2007, the sculpture garden received its current name, the Hazel and Jimmy Sanders Sculpture Garden.
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Since 2000, the sculpture garden has really grown and now includes 22 permanent pieces and a constantly revolving collection of temporary pieces.
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Over the years, the biennial competition has attracted artists from a variety of backgrounds and 15 different states.
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During the most recent competition, which was held in August of 2015, emphasis was put on music.
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A portion of those pieces are now on display at the recently opened GRAMMY Museum in Cleveland.
Jimmy Smith/Flickr
The only one of its kind in the entire state, the Hazel and Jimmy Sanders Sculpture Garden is by far one of the Mississippi’s best kept secrets.
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For more information on the DSU sculpture garden, including how to enter the biennial competition and artists’ biographies, click here. Want a guided tour of the sculpture garden? Call the Delta Arts Alliance office at (662) 843-3344 or the Bologna Performing Arts Center at (662) 846-4625.
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Jimmy Smith/Flickr
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