Photo courtesy of Ray LaVoie Photography
On a hot, sunny Friday in September, a horse named Gunner trotted out at the Beulah Park memorial sculpture’s dedication ceremony.
It’s a fitting cameo as the sculpture captures the start of a horserace at the now- transitioned Beulah Park racetrack, which the Beulah Park master-planned community replaces.
Gunner seemed to approve as the horse neighed in timely appreciation to several of the speeches given at the ceremony.
“It’s a perfect sound coming from the background,” Mayor Richard “Ike” Stage said during his remarks at the ceremony.
The memorial sculpture’s construction has been a roughly three-year project from start to dedication. For architect Craig Murdick, there’s a sense of relief now that a portion of the 220-acre development is completed.
Murdick’s sculpture depicts six horses coming out of a race gate with gate crews in the background and spectators on the side.
Passersby may notice a horse missing at gate No. 2. Oftentimes, horses were disqualified before the start of the race leaving one slot empty. Murdick says the sculpture’s missing horse acknowledges that fact but also helps to create the desired lighting and shadow effects throughout the day.
Photo courtesy of Ray LaVoie
In a tribute to the racetrack that once stood there, the sand used for the ground where the sculpture resides came from the original track, Murdick says.
B.J. Roach, Gunner’s owner and a jockey who competed at the Beulah Park racetrack starting in the 1960s, appreciates the sculpture’s nod to its past. While he’ll miss the racetrack, he appreciates the amount of green space provided in the new community.
“I think they’ve got a nice development here,” he says.
The sculpture’s dedication arrives as developers wade through challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic including supply disruptions and worker shortages. Developers used the same laborers involved with the construction of the residential units to build the sculpture when the time was available.
The dedication ceremony conveniently aligned with the kickoff of the 2021 Arts in the Alley Music and Arts Festival. The developers saw it as an opportunity to share Beulah Park’s sculpture with the community.
“Public art is important because it promotes a strong sense of place,” says Pat Kelley, the developer of the Beulah Park project.
More than just a link between the past and present, Beulah Park is directly joined to the larger community by the Columbus Street extender that connects the Beulah Park community to Grove City’s historic Town Center. Kelley hopes that connection will serve to enhance the quality of life for Grove City residents.
“This will be a gem unparalleled in central Ohio,” Kelley says.
Brandon Klein is the senior editor. Feedback welcome at bklein@cityscenemediagroup.com.
