The Messenger Sculpture Is A Must-see In Nacogdoches

Anyone that has spent any time in Nacogdoches knows that there are sculptures all the town. There are sculptures of priests, of settlers, of soldiers, and - of course - who could forget "Surfin' Steve", the sculpture of Stephen F. Austin right in the middle of the SFA campus? There's even a Nacogdoches Statue Tour website, kept up by Friends of Historic Nacogdoches, Inc.

But there's one sculpture in Nacogdoches that you might not have seen. It's not one that you'll just drive by. It sits right on Lanana Creek, at the back of the Ruby M. Mize Garden. It's an oversized raven, sculpted out of tires. Don't believe me? See for yourself:

Why is the Raven Sculpture There?

This sculpture was actually part of the Sculpture for All exhibition that was held on the SFA campus. According to the Scholarworks website, the title of the piece is "The Messenger - Looking Back" by Joe Barrington.  It's not just made of tires but also salvaged oilfield equipment.

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Even after the Sculpture for All events ended, this sculpture stayed in the SFA Gardens for visitors to see as they roam through the trails of the Ruby M. Mize Garden and into the Mast Arboretum. Like I said, you won't see this from the roadway. It's a bit off the beaten path, which is why lots of people don't know that it's there.

It really is a pretty cool piece of artwork, and the picture doesn't really do it justice. It's huge, and well worth the time to go see it. If you get the chance to go by, you definitely should. Make time to go see it, and while you're there, check out some of the other designs (Don't worry, I won't spoil any surprises for you!).