DI Garden Club hopes to redefine roundabout with art

The roundabout at the intersection of Daniel Island Drive and Seven Farms Drive has been a focal point of the island since its completion in August 2019, but since it was built, the intersection has been missing a centerpiece visual to complete the look.

 

That may soon change. The Charleston Design Review Committee (DRC) and the Architectural Review Board have approved the construction of a sculpture named “Egrets” for the roundabout. 

 

The sculpture was created by Babette Bloch, a national artist with a studio located in New York. Bloch’s statue has already been featured in multiple locations around the country, including the Naples Botanical Garden in Naples, Florida, and the Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. 

 

The silver, stainless steel structure measures 7 feet, 6 inches, depicting an egret rising into flight from coastal marsh grass.

 

“We decided to take the path of nature and mirror what we love about Daniel Island,” said Tim Ferment, a member of the Daniel Island Garden Club who has been actively involved in project planning. 

 

The Charleston DRC approved the project on June 4, with the Architectural Review Board giving the project the go-ahead on June 8. 

 

The Daniel Island Garden Club formulated the idea for the sculpture in late 2019, said Tim Ferment, a member of the club who has been actively involved in the project. The club then proposed the idea to The Daniel Island Property Owners Association in January 2020, which approved the sculpture. 

 

Gaining approval from the city was the first step in getting the project off of the ground.

 

“They own it, so it needed city approval before they went any further with the project,” said Jane Baker, who is the vice president of the Daniel Island POA. “They were supportive of the concept of public art in that location,” Baker added.

 

One recommendation was stipulated by the review board before the project’s final approval. “They determined that the finish should not be as highly reflective, more of a matte finish,” Baker said, so that the material would not be highly reflective to vehicles and pedestrians at the roundabout.

 

Baker said that the sculpture will benefit Daniel Island residents. 

 

“I think this will be an interesting opportunity for Daniel Island to work together as a community. Public art will enhance the overall aesthetics of the island,” she said. 

 

The Daniel Island Garden Club will need to secure full funding for the project for construction to begin. The total cost for the sculpture is expected to be $70,000.

 

The Daniel Island Community Foundation is accepting donations through the online platform Donate2It. Donations will be collected from now until Aug. 31. For funds raised through the foundation, the Daniel Island Community Fund will match up to $25,000.

 

To donate online, got to bit.ly/30PCSKa.