A New Dog Sculpture in Hattiesburg

HATTIESBURG, MISS. - The Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art revealed a new sculpture Wednesday. The sculpture revealing happened at the Keg & Barrel Dog Park at the intersection of West Pine and 4th Ave. Hattiesburg artist Ben Watts made the sculpture and believes that art can have a positive impact on the city's economy. “You can look at statistics on cities and small towns that have public art, and it gives a rise for economic development,” artist, Ben Watts said. “When people come around they're thinking about putting a factory in town or bringing a business, and you got public art it ups the advantage. So, it's good for education. It's good for public image, and it's good for economic development.” Carey Varnado and his wife Sharon Varnado sponsored the sculpture, and they named it after their dog Archie. “We just feel strongly that it really adds a lot to the appearance of our city and really makes our city known as an art center and that's very important,” Carey Varnado said. Archie is currently on display at Central Bark - Keg & Barrel Dog Park.