A sculpture honoring Augusta’s namesake is scheduled for dedication at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30, on the Riverwalk. The gathering will begin at the Sixth Street Riverwalk ramp, according to the Greater Augusta Arts Council’s announcement.
The council credits Allie Haskell-Hansen with the sculpture, Daniel Stewart with assistance and Trent Hubbard with fabrication. Georgia Rehabilitation Institute provided part of the funding. Once installed, the work is to be donated to the city’s public art collection as a permanent addition to the Augusta Sculpture Trail, the council says.
The trail combines permanent city-owned works with sculptures on temporary loan. The Sculpture Trail’s current exhibition runs from January 2025 through December 2026. Works on loan can be purchased; those not acquired are returned to their artists.
The Nov. 30 program also includes an updated presentation of Craig Gray’s book bench incorporating John R. Barney’s Looking for Princess Augusta: A Personal Journey, and recognition of a newly engraved historical marker, according to the Arts Council.
The bench is already part of the city’s collection. The trail’s catalog identifies Book Bench – A Novel Idea as a 2022 granite work purchased with grant funds. Its carved books carry titles chosen by the community.
The woman behind the city’s name
Augusta was established in 1736 and named for Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, the mother of King George III, according to the city’s historical information.
Her legacy also reaches into garden history. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew dates its founding to the nine-acre botanic garden she established in 1759. The Royal Collection Trust’s account describes seeds, plants and trees arriving from abroad, with the herbaceous collection exceeding 2,700 species by 1768.
The Augusta Sports Council’s event listing identifies this year’s celebration as her 307th birthday. It lists the Women’s Wellness Walk for 5:30–7:30 p.m. Nov. 30, from the Sixth Street area near Reynolds Street to the Riverwalk and Fifth Street walking bridge. Families and dogs are welcome, and princess attire is encouraged for dogs.
For walk information, the Sports Council lists J. Haskell at 803-640-6037.