Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Hartman Rock Garden is also one of the nine tour stops on the fourth annual South Side in Bloom event also going on Saturday.
Hartman’s labor of love was done from 1932-1944, when he created the concrete figurines and structures. He made so many that not all could go out at once due to various reasons.
Kevin Rose, Hartman Rock Garden’s executive director and curator, doesn’t want to keep the creations under wraps permanently and the solution was a special day to celebrate those figurines. This year, he wants it to go beyond just that day for what he calls “an all-out blitz of figurines.”
“It’s a moment to celebrate this as part of the art. We’ll be unveiling about 25 that have not been on display for a long time,” he said.
Some of Hartman’s creations were influenced by the pop culture and celebrities of the time and historical people including boxing legend Joe Louis and actress Mae West and fictional characters Felix the Cat, ventriloquist dummy Charlie McCarthy, Pinocchio and The Lone Ranger.
Others will include gardening gnomes, a giant rooster, a jack rabbit, bulldogs, a doe, an owl, Hartman’s three crying dogs and others.
Work has been done to prepare the figurines including new casts and restoration, Rose said. Students from Dayton Regional STEM School’s chemistry and art classes helped with creating the new casting and molding.
He also wants to emphasize that these figurines will not be limited to this special day, but be on display for visitors to view beyond Saturday.
“We want Hartman Rock Garden to be a spectacular place to visit every warm day of the year,” said Rose. “That’s always been our goal.”
Tchotchke Palooza will include guides and volunteers who will do short tours and be available for questions. Proceeds will help maintain the garden and conservation work.
The garden is open daily from dawn to dusk for self-guided tours with free guide books available. For more information, go to hartmanrocks.org.
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