<< Back 6/26/02 Gateway revisited as possible start for urban art trail By Scott McLeod The old arch that spanned Main Street in Waynesville for about 30 years isn’t coming back, but an artist’s “re-interpretation” of it could become the first stop on an urban art trail in the downtown area. A Waynesville group has begun planning an urban art trail similar to the one that has become so popular in Asheville. The Streetscapes Committee of the Downtown Waynesville Association has secured the town government’s backing to use private endowment funds it will raise as a match as it seeks a federal grant through the state Department of Transportation. The group wants to spend a total of $64,000 on the project, and in its preliminary budget has a total of $42,000 to pay to the artist who will create the piece that is being tentatively called the “Great Smoky Mountains National Park Gateway.” The artist will be asked to re-interpret the “Gateway to the Smokies” arch that spanned Main Street from 1933 until it was taken down in the 1960s. Committee members speaking to the town board stressed that they don’t envision another arch spanning Main Street. Ron Huelster, the executive director of the Downtown Waynesville Association, is one of the committee’s leaders. He reminded the town board that the artwork titled “Bear in Mind, It’s Feeding Time” — located on town hall property — is the only piece of public art owned by the town. That was purchased after it was named the People’s Choice winner in the town’s annual StreetScapes outdoor art exhibit and contest. “The DWA Streetscapes Committee ... has realized the need to develop a more permanent public sculpture exhibit which represents Waynesville’s historic, economic, cultural and natural resources. This approach uses the ‘gateway’ concept represented by the proposed project mentioned above,” Huelster wrote in a memorandum to the town board. “Really, this is just the beginning as far as we are concerned. This idea of providing a gateway to the park is important because it can also be a gateway to the community,” said Huelster. One public meeting has been held to gather ideas for the art trail concept, and more are planned for the future, said Huelster. The trail, the Streetscapes Committee wrote, by “enriching the public realm, preserving artistic and cultural traditions and increasing civic pride through public art such as the GSMNP Gateway, will add intrinsic value to pass on to future generations.” Alderwoman Libba Feichter said she remembered the old arch from when her family used to vacation in Waynesville. “It really was one of the most memorable landmarks from the town’s past. I remember it so vividly,” said Feichter. The old arch was contructed in 1933, said Streetscapes Committee member Philann Medford. At that time, visitors to Waynesville departed the train on Depot Street or drove their cars out of town on the only road that went all the way to the national park. Even then, the national park — created by Calvin Coolidge in 1926 but officially dedicated by Franklin Delano Roosevelt on Sept. 2, 1940 — was the largest tourist draw in the mountains.