Mane attraction: Lion added to Mercy Park's sculpture garden

Sep. 13—A powerful lion took his place Wednesday in the Rotary Clubs of Joplin Sculpture Garden at Mercy Park.

The bronze sculpture, the 26th to be placed in the park, was created and donated by former Joplin resident and artist Catherine Gray Johnston of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. It is her second donation to the park.

The lion sculpture is titled "Strength and Courage."

She said the name came from her upbringing by her parents "who gave me the strength and courage right here in Joplin, Missouri, to do all of this," she said of her life and her artwork.

She attended Missouri Southern State University after high school where she asked herself "What do you want to do with your life?" she said. She was influenced to study art by the art staff at MSSU.

After college, she married Roger Johnston, and they moved to Kansas City. They later returned to Joplin, where he had a career with LaBarge, starting at the Joplin plant but later transferring to Tulsa.

Her husband died in 2013, "and I was faced with that question again. What do you want to do with your life?"

That led her back to art, and she studied at Scottsdale Artists School in Arizona. The first piece she did after renewing her art skills was one in honor of her husband; that one she donated to the Clarehouse hospice in Tulsa.

"This is just my love, and I've been lucky enough to do it," she said.

Before she sculpted "Strength and Courage," she created and donated "Wishing On A Star," which was in remembrance of the 2011 tornado that rocked her hometown of Joplin.

"I was so devastated when the tornado went through and destroyed St. John's hospital and all this area," she said, that she decided to take up sculpture as a way to express her hope for Joplin's recovery and future.

Bob Headlee, president of the board for the sculpture garden project, said there is no specific goal or limit on the number of sculptures to be placed in the park. The effort could be "never-ending," he said.

"The sculptures just add to that for people to stop and look," he said. "A lot of people now, when they have relations or friends come to town, they bring them out here. We wanted a place for people to come out and enjoy (the park), exercise, get some fresh air and do some reflection."

Since it was established in 2019, the sculpture park has grown more rapidly than was anticipated, Headlee said.

It started with six pieces donated by arts supporter Harry M. Cornell Jr., who was the lead donor for the Harry M. Cornell Arts & Entertainment Complex in downtown Joplin. The park also received a donation of six more sculptures from the Cornell estate after Cornell died in May 2022, Headlee said.

Otherwise, donors buy a sculpture that is already made through art brokers, create a bronze art piece themselves as Johnston has done, or commission one from an artist. The Rotarians can connect people to experienced artists who can bring an idea to fruition if a donor chooses.

Sculptures usually cost $25,000 or more. Those donors also pay for the concrete footing, sandstone bases if desired or needed as a mounting base, and installation. The park is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, which makes donations tax-deductible, Headlee said.

The Rotary board is responsible for maintenance of the sculptures. The public may contribute to the park's upkeep or get information about the effort at rotarysculpturegarden.org.

Asked if the Rotarians are pleased with the number of sculptures that have been donated, Headlee said, "we are far ahead of what we thought we would have" this soon. He credits the Cornell sculpture donations, which have provided 12 of what will soon be 28 of them to populate Mercy Park around the ponds and walking trail.

Two more statues are to come soon, Headlee said.