If you stroll through The Gardens at Stowe, you’ll notice art and sculptures of all shapes and sizes gracing our grounds to enhance your experience. From our iconic Disco Dog at the entrance to The Village to the vibrant colors of the glass statues in the Williamson Conservatory, art and nature craft a curated journey across our 380 acres. Each piece has a unique story to tell; read on to learn more about the art of Daniel Stowe Conservancy!

The Awakening 

By Wanda A. Hall 

Material: High-fire stoneware clay, coated with a wood ash glaze 

Location: Canal Garden Fountain 

These fish sculptures were originally installed as a temporary exhibit for the Canal Garden back in 2000. Garden visitors and board members liked them so much that they were purchased to be a permanent addition to the Garden. 

Each fish weighs 100 lbs. (with 10 fish that is 1,000 lbs.!) and is attached to a steel armature with copper wiring. The wood ash glaze gives them a fossilized appearance. 

Child of Peace Girl (pictured) and Child of Peace Boy 

By Gary Lee Price 

Material: Bronze 

Location: Crape Myrtle Crossing 

These two companion pieces were donated to the Garden in 2007 by a family who lives in York, South Carolina. The pieces were believed to have originally been part of their personal garden at a different location. 

Gary Lee Price lives in Utah and has been sculpting professionally for more than 25 years. His sculptures are contained in public and private collections all over the world. He has sculptures everywhere, from California to the Netherlands. Most notably, one of the largest libraries in the world in Hong Kong acquired twelve of Mr. Price's life-sized bronze sculptures, all of children reading, playing, and releasing doves. He has even worked with Tim Allen on a sculpture of his daughter. He is very prolific and is still active to this day. Price mused, "I hope I can assist the world in visualizing a place where fences and boundaries, both real and imagined, are non-existent; a place where bias and prejudice are long forgotten; and finally, a place where acts of kindness, mutual respect, and love are everyday happenings." 

Mother and Son 

By Joe Mutasa 

Material: Springstone 

Location: Pollinator Garden 

 

Joe Mutasa was born in a small-town northeast of Zimbabwe. Art was always his favorite subject, and although he went to college to study Public Relations, he ended up dropping out to become a sculptor full time. 

Mutasa and his brother Gregory began a company called African Art Promotions, carving Verdite busts of animals, fine art in Zimbabwe. The incredibly hard, brilliant green stone unique to Zimbabwe, would be used to form most of Joe's subject matter for the next four years. The skill required to work in Verdite is not to be underestimated. His sound technical background is obvious in his work today; he has the ability to dominate most kinds of stone and is considered a master of his media. 

However, Mutasa became bored with realism and increasingly more interested in the portrayal of emotion within, which is apparent in his piece, Mother and Son. His desire to express what he felt caused him to stop working in Verdite and search for something new and more malleable. Never revising anything he has done before, each new work from him is a surprise. The long, elegant forms stretch almost into infinity and speak tenderly of the love inherent in a close family relationship. This subject of family relationships plays an important part in Mutasa's work, especially its role in how Shona society is changing. 

This beautiful work of art was a gift to the garden from Bill and Susan Williamson. 

Leaf Head 

By Patience Brunzawabaya 

Location: Williamson Conservatory 

Leaf Head graces the entrance of the Orchid Conservatory. Discovered by Zimsculpt founder Vivienne Croisette, Patience Brunzawabaya is an up-and-coming artist. She studied at the University of Zimbabwe and now works in Chitungwiza, south of the capital Harare. 

Blue Wing (2003), Rare Bird (2000), Tango (2000), Butterfly Man (2004), Peonies (2004), Pussy Willows (2004) 

By Stephen Dee Edwards 

Material: Glass 

Location: Williamson Conservatory (some on display, some not. Blue Wing pictured) 

All donated by Charlotte glass collectors, Mr. And Mrs. Isaac Luski and their son Moses Luski. The Luski family donated and sponsored the construction of the Orchid Conservatory. Stephen Dee Edwards is one of their favorite glass artists. He was the Professor of Glass Art at Alfred University in New York. He is still actively making art, and his pieces are in museums and collections all throughout the world. The Luskis have donated his art to several other museums and businesses in the Charlotte area. 

Laura 

By Graham Weathers 

Material: Bronze 

Location: Boardroom Courtyard 

Commissioned by the Garden by Graham Weathers, a local artist. Weathers was born in Stanley and originally pursued a career as a family doctor. After receiving his doctorate in 1960 and working with his father, he went on to follow his passion for art and earn a degree in sculpting from UNC in 1980. He is also famous for his life – sized bronze image of Queen Charlotte Walking Her Dogs in uptown Charlotte, located at the corner of 5th and College.

Feathers Lillies and Raindrops 

By Graham Weathers  

Material: Stainless Steel 

Location: Canal Garden 

A very different look and material, this steel bird at the end of Canal showcases Weathers in a whole new light than his piece Laura by White Garden. Weathers was better known for his work in bronze, but this goes to show his ability to explore different mediums and still be successful. Weathers has won multiple awards and his works are featured in numerous public and private collections. He even has a casting on board the USS Charlotte nuclear submarine and in the Mirow Castle in Germany. 

 Glass Daffodils 

By Jason Gamrath 

Material: Blown Glass 

Location: Williamson Conservatory 

Jason Gamrath is a glass artist from Seattle, Washington that creates life size botanicals. Gamrath's purpose with this orchid piece was to take something small and "overwhelmingly perplexing" and capture the viewers' interest and curiosity. While it is easy to overlook the natural beauty on a microscopic scale, Gamrath hopes that by recreating a plant on a macro scale, it lets them "observe with the same eyes through which 'he' humbly and graciously experiences our natural world". Gamrath exhibited his work at Daniel Stowe in June of 2019, quotations are from his artist statement.  

Development 

By Washington Matafi 

Material: Opal Stone 

Location: Bog Garden  

From our Zimsculpt exhibit, Washington Matafi is a prolific artist from Wedza, Zimbabwe. His art career started in 2000 when he began an apprenticeship with his close cousin Elvis Mamvura. Matafi's more recent pieces explore the three-sided abstract, with all kinds of twists and turns, which he uses to express his message of hopes to unite people from all walks of life. He works primarily in opal stone and spring stone; common stones found in Zimbabwe. He has shown work internationally and continues to make art today. 

Spot the Disco Dog 

By Elizabeth Laul Healey 

Mixed Media 

Location: Entrance to The Village at Stowe by the Dog Park 

Elizabeth Healey, an established artist from California, is known for her gigantic "disco" style large sculptures. This one, a watchdog known as Spot, sits at an impressive 8' tall outside the dog park here in the garden. He is very hard to miss from New Hope with his shiny reflective surface and gigantic puppy dog eyes. Healey expressed with this work that ever since the pandemic in 2020, she has wanted to bring cheer and hope with her sculptures. He has become a notable feature when approaching the garden, welcoming guests at the entrance with a smile. 

Star 

By Tendai Gwaravaza 

Material: Cobalt Stone 

Location: Williamson Conservatory 

 Gwaravaza was destined to become an artist. He was raised by his grandmother, a potter, and surrounded by his uncles, who carved wooden instruments. His father taught him the art of stone sculpting. Gwaravaza has been sculpting for fourteen years now, creating sculptures inspired by the sacred beliefs of the Shona people. This piece was donated to the garden in memory of Jesse Campbell by Martha and Grady Campbell. 

 New Seasons 

By Gary Lee Price 

Material: Bronze 

Location: Lost Hollow 

This sculpture by Gary Lee Price is all about renewal and rebirth. It shows a young boy holding his sister, looking with wonder at the butterflies she releases from her hand. Price shows a special kind of tenderness and care between the siblings, while also showing a child's natural inquisitiveness. The depiction of the butterfly symbolizes the metamorphosis of change. The boy was modelled by the artist's own son. 

Glass Rotunda 

Artist Unknown

Stained Glass 

Location: Garden Pavilion  

Our giant stained-glass rotunda was once part of the First Baptist Church in Canton, OH. When the church was torn down, the rotunda was saved and moved to an antique emporium in Atlanta, GA. The developers of the property found it and moved it to Belmont, NC, changing their original plans for the Garden Pavillion to make it fit. Here, it was re-constructed, piece by piece. 

Dragonfly II

By Dr. David Demperio 

Materials: Reclaimed scrap metal

Location: Lost Hollow 

Dragonfly II is a sculptural work constructed from reclaimed scrap metal. Its body is formed from a motorcycle gas tank, the head from an air tank, and the eyes from salvaged trim rings of eyeball lights. The tail is made from a car spring, and the wings are cut from sections of an early satellite dish. 

This piece follows Dragonfly I, which shared a similar design but ultimately deteriorated due to structural weaknesses. In Dragonfly II, those flaws have been resolved, resulting in a more durable form intended to better withstand the elements. 

Across cultures, the dragonfly symbolizes transformation, adaptability, joy, and maturity. Moving from water to air, it represents change, self-realization, and a connection to something beyond the physical world. It is often seen as a messenger of strength and good fortune. 

David Demperio is the second of five children raised in a deeply creative household. His father, Thomas R. Demperio, a lifelong artist, worked as a commercial illustrator before later focusing on watercolor painting. 

Surrounded by art from an early age, Demperio developed a strong appreciation for creative expression. After a 43-year career as a chiropractor, he now devotes his time to artistic pursuits including sculpture, jewelry making, pottery, watercolor, and music—particularly guitar and mandolin. 

His work reflects both an inherited artistic sensibility and a resourceful approach to materials, transforming discarded objects into meaningful, enduring forms. Current projects include a grasshopper sculpture, which is expected to be exhibited at Stowe Conservancy in the near future. 

Boy and Dog

By Paul C. Nixon 

Material: Bronze

Location: Lost Hollow 

On the other side of the pond tucked on a ledge in the Sunken Pond Amphitheater is The Boy and Dog statue. This statue holds strong sentimental significance to The Gardens’ history, as it depicts Robert Ragan, one of Stowe’s board members, biggest supporters and benefactors (The Ragan Canal Garden is named after him!) with his childhood dog, Snip, a Fox Terrier. The statue is dedicated to Snip’s memory, since he saved Robert’s life when he was just 18 months old!