While walking across from Lake Monroe in Sanford I spotted this unique art piece in front of the Sanford Civic Center. I was instantly drawn to the beautiful wood carvings of animals.
After an old laurel oak became diseased and died, the City of Sanford put out a request for an artist who could make something beautiful out of the tree rather than just cut it down.
In 2022 renowned chainsaw artist Mark Rice created this piece out of a tree over 13 days using 12 different chainsaws. He was one of the artists chosen to make art of the remains of The Senator, a champion bald cypress in Longwood that met its end due to an arson fire.
The carvings in the tree feature the wildlife you see along the St. John's River. These include a bear, an eagle, owls, and a great blue heron. The front of the tree has a likeness of Sanford's clock in the Town Square. I love how this art piece enhances the beauty of downtown Sanford while bringing an awareness to the ecology of the St. John's River. read more