A stroll through artist John Henry’s “studio” is no ordinary walk. A collection of metal gates, warehouses, newly renovated buildings, and outdoor production space greet the visitor. Many residents of Chattanooga are familiar with this sculptor’s magnificent pieces. They are arrayed in both prominent and obscure spaces in and around our beautiful city. Perhaps his most widely known local piece is the enormous scarlet sculpture that is positioned beside the Main Street fire station and that manages to turn the head of every passerby.
A native of Kentucky and a former resident of Florida, Henry researched a number of cities as he looked for a permanent home in which to grow his business and artwork. He was searching for the perfect combination of an industrial town with warehouse availability, local steel suppliers from whom to buy products, a warm climate in which to work outdoors as much of the year as possible, and a central location for shipping. John Henry also chose Chattanooga several years ago for the fine space he discovered off of Main Street and for the energy of the growing arts community here. His sculptures range in size from tabletop and wall pieces to garden sculpture and enormous constructions of outdoor art. Employing a staff of twenty, a skilled machine crew and fabrication team assist in the logistics of his creations as they construct and finish sculptures in various warehouse rooms and outdoor arenas. Flat bed trucks deliver finished pieces all over the country, and some pieces will ship to settings and shows in Europe. Over one hundred pieces may be works-in-progress at any given time. In addition, his staff includes an executive director, office managers, carpenters, machinists, welders, and finishers.
John Henry’s education includes time spent at the University of Kentucky and the University of Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Art Institute of Chicago, where he also was awarded a Ford Foundation grant and the Edward L. Ryerson Fellowship. In 1996, he received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Kentucky. Henry has taught as a visiting professor at several schools, including the University of Iowa, the University of Wisconsin, University of Chicago, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2004, Chattanooga granted him the Mayor’s Award of Distinction in the Arts.
It is easy for Chattanoogans to enjoy the variety of John Henry’s sculptures when navigating our city. Transformation is located on the campus of Chattanooga State, where Henry teaches as a distinguished professor of art. Community member Ruth Holmberg recently donated one of Henry’s pieces to be viewed near UTC’s Student Center. The yellow Largo enjoys space at the Hunter Art Museum, and 212 Market Restaurant houses a gold-plated wall piece. Perched on the Portera’s Bluff View Arts District rocks, Precipice Star was designed in the artist’s previous studio in Kentucky, where the legs needed to be especially constructed to fit in and around the stones overlooking the Tennessee River. Several pieces of Henry’s work reside in the yards of individual private collectors around Chattanooga. Hacker and Kitty Caldwell of Lookout Mountain have generously opened their garden-sized Red Cloud to the community. An entrance is available so that others may share the enchantment of their sculpture’s setting.
If you are a traveler, you can enjoy the sculptor’s most recent works in St. Louis, Missouri; Chicago; Venice, Italy; and St. Urban, Switzerland. John Henry’s big upcoming project will be an exhibition throughout the state of Florida. His most recent undertaking, Drawing in Space: The Peninsula Project, was just launched this October and will extend through May of next year. Henry feels a particular affinity to the state of Florida after living there for several years. Seven of Florida’s major cities will house a monumental sculpture of Henry’s which will be paired with an indoor museum exhibit pertaining to a unique aspect of the sculptor’s career.
Although John Henry’s studio is not open to the public, the Henrys have enjoyed hosting arts related events in the warehouse space. They have also developed the surrounding buildings to create a community for arts related businesses. The two buildings that comprise Cypress Corners house artists’ studios including sculptors Hank Lautz, Bryan Strickland, Byran Rasmussen, and Jason Reeves, along with Method Architecture firm and Performance Video Productions. At The Mill, an event hall in Chattanooga, other artistic businesses can be found including, Tubatomic web design, Green Apple Media, Massage Experts Spa, and Beautiful by Cristie photographer’s studio.
With large picture windows overlooking Montague Park, the next project on the docket for the John Henry grounds includes developing the park to use as a large-scale international sculpture garden with accompanying soccer fields. The magnificence of John Henry’s sculpting serves to enhance our quality of life in Chattanooga. We are fortunate that he and many other talented artists are working hard in our community.