A ceremonial groundbreaking for the $2.4 million sculpture garden at Hartwood Acres showcased grand, decades-old art that will dot the landscape in new configurations at the 629-acre Allegheny County-owned park.

Hosted by the county and the Allegheny County Parks Foundation, the June 1 event spotlighted 13 large-scale pieces of art first gifted to the site in the mid-1980s.

“The Sculpture Garden is by far the largest and most complicated project the Parks Foundation has undertaken in partnership with Allegheny County,” Parks Foundation Chair Chip Babst said.

Targeted for conservation with an eye toward accessibility, the remodeled garden is taking shape at the park that stretches through Indiana and Hampton townships.

The next phase of the project includes an extensive makeover of the site near the park’s historic Tudor mansion.

The $3.9 million construction project is being completed by Plavchak Construction Co., Inc. of Elizabeth.

LaQuatra Bonci Associates led the design team.

Work will feature ADA-accessible walkways that wind through the park’s lawns to link the pieces, along with LED lighting and native landscaping. Nearly 300 trees, more than 100 shrubs and thousands of perennials will be planted.

Reconfigured driveways and parking areas will be designed with principles of green engineering and rain gardens that help absorb stormwater runoff.

Portions of the existing asphalt roads will be widened and resurfaced.

Work is expected to last through the end of the year.

“By placing the bulk of these pieces of art at center stage, the public has more opportunity to engage with this art than ever before,” county Executive Rich Fitzgerald said.

For the first time in decades, the garden will feature a new piece, leaders also announced during the groundbreaking.

Wilkinsburg artist Dee Briggs was selected by an 11-member panel from among a group of more than 80 artists to create a new sculpture for inclusion in the Hartwood garden.

“I am delighted and honored to have my work join the important and influential sculptors represented in this collection, such as Clement Meadmore and Charles Ginniver,” Briggs said. “Because of the sculpture collection, Hartwood Acres has always been a special place for me. I look forward to working in its spectacular landscape.”

The Parks Foundation has been updating its social media followers about the continued work.

Recent website photos showed a rigging crew positioning “Tower Iron, Sculpture #5” by Joseph Goto.

Another post detailed upgrades to “Ring Series #5” by sculptor Fletcher Benton that are underway at Ohio’s McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory.

Money to support the large-scale community project has come from several sources, including the Fox Chapel Garden Club, The Garden Club of Allegheny County and the Hillman Foundation.

The Regional Asset District’s RADical ImPAct Grant program poured $1 million into the project, saying it fit the mold for a bold, forward-looking project that would shape the creative landscape of the region for the next 25 years.

For more information, visit acparksfoundation.org.

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