Announcing an Exciting Community Creative Placemaking Campaign Funded in Part by the Tennessee Arts Commission
Using Art as a Catalyst to Reinvigorate Our Community
Creative placemaking is a community development approach that strategically integrates arts, culture and design to enhance the character and vitality of a place. It aims to improve residents' quality of life by fostering social connections, encouraging participation, and promoting a sense of ownership. This involves collaboration among diverse partners, including artists, community members, and organizations, to shape both the physical and social aspects of a community.
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In June 2025, The Fly Arts Center was awarded a creative placemaking grant by the Tennessee Arts Commission to launch a public art campaign in Bedford County, TN — Champions On Parade.
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Life-size fiberglass horse statues designed by local artists will be placed throughout Bedford County as a public art installation.
AT A GLANCE
QUICK LINKS:
FULL program information
About the Campaign
Champions on Parade is an upcoming public art installation led by The Fly Arts Center (home of the Bedford County Arts Council) to help support our local rural arts community in Bedford County, TN, while revitalizing our community visually and celebrating the uniqueness of our local history and cultural heritage.
Inspired by Chicago’s 1999 Cow’s On Parade, our campaign will feature life-size fiberglass horse statues that embody the artistic spirit of the Tennessee Walking Horse and other championship horses that are a part of our county’s rich heritage and history. These horses will be painted by Bedford County artists. Each will then be put on public display throughout our county. An online map will be made available to the public to help the members of our community and out of town visitors go on a self-guided scavenger hunt to see all of the horses on display. Each horse will offer a learning opportunity about our local history and heritage through art.
Unveiling the Horses
The first completed horse statue will be unveiled to the public during a special event at The Fly Arts Center on Saturday, October 18th. An additional five horses will be unveiled in ribbon cutting ceremonies as they are completed throughout 2025 and early 2026. Additional horses may be added throughout 2026, as interest in horse sponsorship dictate.
Where the Horses Will Be Placed
The first three horses would be placed at municipal locations in Bedford County — with The Fly Arts Center being the first location. The Fly Arts Center and the Tennessee Arts Commission would be listed as co-sponsors for this first set of three horses.
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Horse Sponsor & Horse Host Program
Additional horses will be added to the campaign through a horse sponsor and host program.
Ideal hosts are considered to be local businesses or organizations with a highly visible and publicly accessible location in which a horse statue can be installed within Bedford County. This location can be either indoor or outdoor, but the location must be open and easily accessible for public viewing. There is no cost to host a horse.
Horse sponsors would provide the funds needed to cover the cost to manufacture each horse. That cost is $4,000.
In exchange, the horse sponsor and host would be listed on a plaque placed permanently on the chest of each statue, along with the name of the artist responsible for painting the horse. Scannable QR codes will also be placed on statue plaques to lead viewers to more information about each horse sponsor, host and artist, and to provide more information about the horse’s design and its significance to our local history and cultural heritage.
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Sponsor A Horse > | Host A Horse >
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Program Sponsorship
In addition, promotional opportunities exist with our official program sponsorship support tiers. This is separate from horse sponsorship and allows for businesses and individuals to support the entire program’s efforts in exchange for promotional consideration.​
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Horse Specifications
Life size fiberglass statue model to be used.
14.2 Hands | 17” Wide (Chest) | 8’ 3” (length)
6’ 4” (tall at highest point) | 200 lbs
Other statue models may also be available.
The Purpose of Our Campaign
The main goal of Champions on Parade is to revitalize the local rural arts community in Bedford County, TN, while celebrating the uniqueness of our local history and heritage. Shelbyville is the Tennessee Walking Horse Capitol of the World and Bedford County has a nearly century long history dedicated to training and showing championship horses. These statues will help visually communicate and teach viewers about our local heritage and help generate renewed excitement for our community’s traditions. We hope to use art as a catalyst to not only bring our diverse population together, but to also help encourage visitors to choose Bedford County as a family fun destination that will result in increased revenues for area businesses.
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Lifting Up Local Artists
Local Bedford County artists will be commissioned to paint each horse in exchange for a stipend. Interested artists must submit an application to be considered for inclusion in the program. Each application will be reviewed by a committee at The Fly Arts Center. Each artist may paint only one horse in order to provide the opportunities to the greatest number of local artists as possible. A design theme related to our unique local history and/or cultural heritage for horses will be encouraged. In addition, we hope to elevate the profiles of local Bedford County artists with this public display of their work within our community, while giving them an opportunity to benefit financially from their artistic talents. In addition, an artist studio space will be available at The Fly Arts Center to approved artists. All artists must be from Bedford County, TN.
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The Future
The Fly Arts Center hopes to carry Champions on Parade throughout 2026, with the goal of adding additional
horses to the public art installation during this time. In 2027, a “50/100” Celebration will be coordinated by The
Fly Arts Center and their community partners to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Bedford County Arts
Council and the 100th anniversary of The Fly Manufacturing Building.
During the “50/100” Celebration events, an auction of the horse statues will be held to raise funds to transform the basement of The Fly Arts Center into a Community Art Space. Bids will begin at $4,000 for each horse. Purchasers can choose to relocate their horse or to donate it back to the host to keep it on display for public enjoyment.
We hope that many horses will remain on display in Bedford County for many years after the program has
concluded — Becoming a permanent part of our local history and cultural heritage, and a testament to the power the arts can have to bring people together for a common goal.
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Who to Contact
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Seven Meloy
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Jody Barnes-Turner, Jennifer Dawn Smith, Tabby Stem and Dianne Clanton
SPONSORSHIP COORDINATORS
Chavigny Beasley and Phil Crawley
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HOST COORDINATOR
Crystal O’Neal
ARTIST COORDINATOR
Clover Honey
ARTIST STUDIO COORDINATOR
London Oberleas
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Email > | Call: 931-684-8359 | Make a Donation >
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program SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
Become an Official Sponsor of Champions On Parade
Support the Arts in Our Local Community, While Also Promoting Your Business/Organization
Grand Champion Presenting Partner | $10,000 (LIMIT OF 1)
• Listed as Presenting Sponsor With The Fly Arts Center on All Program Communications
• One Horse Sponsorship With Custom Art Selection Opportunity With Local Artists
• Opportunity for One Custom Cross-promotion
• Specific Call Out in Media Releases
• 30 Second Video Promotional Spot Played During All Program Events
• 30 Second Video Promotional Spot Played Pre-Show for All Theatre Events
• Static Ad on Arts Center 4K Displays
• Logo on Program Sponsor Website
• Individual Recognition as a Sponsor on Social Media Feeds
• Online Banner Ad on Website
• Email Banner Ad for eNewsletters and ePromos
• Four Season Tickets for Our 2026 Theatre Season
• Table at Our 2027 Auction Gala Event (Up to 8 People)
• Logo Added Onto the Step-Repeat Event Photo Op Banner
Strolling Jim Partner | $5,000
• Official Sponsor Title
• Logo on All Promotional Communications
• Static Ad on Arts Center 4K Displays
• Logo on Program Sponsor Website
• Individual Recognition as a Sponsor on Social Media Feeds
• Online Banner Ad on Website
• Email Banner Ad for eNewsletters and ePromos
• Two Season Tickets for Our 2026 Theatre Season
• Four Tickets to Our 2027 Auction Gala Event
• Logo Added Onto the Step-Repeat Event Photo Op Banner
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Blue Ribbon Partner | $2,500
• Official Sponsor Title
• Static Ad on Arts Center 4K Displays
• Name Listed on Program Sponsor Website
• Online Banner Ad on Website
• Email Banner Ad for eNewsletters and ePromos
• Two Tickets to Our 2027 Auction Gala Event
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Saddle Partner | $500
• Official Sponsor Title
• Name Listed on Program Sponsor Website
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Media Partner | In-Kind Donation
In exchange for in-kind advertising and promotion, media partners will be awarded sponsorship benefits based on the cash value of their donations.
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