SKYCTC and BGMU Unveils First of Three Community Art Sculptures in Downtown Bowling Green

_{Representatives from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Bowling Green Municipal Utilities (BGMU) as well as members of SKYCTC were present at the unveiling of a Community Art Project in a partnership between the two companies and SKYCTC.  SKYCTC Art, Welding, Computerized Manufacturing and Machining, and Collision Repair faculty will work with their students to create three sculptures to artistically represent electric, water and fiber that will be placed on the grounds of the BGMU corporate office in Bowling Green. Pictured (group in left - left to right): Ernie Petterson, TVA Director of Customer Relations, Jana Sublett, TVA Community Relations Specialist; Mike Buchanon, Former Warren County Judge Executive, and Mark Iverson, BGMU General Manager (Group at right from left to right) SKYCTC Interim President, Dr. Booke Justice; Chris Hagan, SKYCTC Associate Professor in Computerized Manufacturing and Machining, David Jones, SKYCTC Art Professor; and Steve Hatcher, SKYCTC Welding Professor. ( not present for photo, Jon Hunt, SKYCTC Professor in Collision Repair)}

BOWLING GREEN, KY (June 3, 2025) – On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College (SKYCTC), in partnership with Bowling Green Municipal Utilities (BGMU), unveiled the first in a series of three public sculptures created by SKYCTC faculty, staff, and students. The unveiling took place at the corner of 8th and Center Streets in downtown Bowling Green.

This community-driven art initiative was born out of a collaboration between SKYCTC and BGMU leadership, who were inspired by earlier sculpture installations on SKYCTC’s main campus. Motivated to contribute meaningful, lasting artwork to the Bowling Green community, the two organizations launched this creative partnership to support local arts and student development.

The first sculpture unveiled—a lightning bolt representing BGMU’s electric services—was designed and fabricated by students and faculty from SKYCTC’s Welding, Machining, Collision Repair, and Art programs. Under the guidance of Welding Professor Steve Hatcher, the project provided students with real-world, hands-on experience in both design and metal fabrication.

“BGMU has been an outstanding partner throughout this collaboration—consistently responsive, supportive, and always willing to assist whenever needed,” said Professor Hatcher. “This project has allowed our students to enhance their technical skills while contributing to something they can be proud of for years to come.”

The initiative is funded by BGMU and supported by a matching grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Community Care Fund. It will ultimately include three sculptures, each symbolizing a core BGMU service: electricity, water, and fiber. The sculptures will be permanently installed around BGMU’s general office campus in highly visible locations, including Center and Main Streets, and Center and 8th Streets, near the Federal Courthouse and Bowling Green Ballpark.

“SKYCTC and its Industrial, Arts and Design programs were a perfect match to bring the public sculpture concept to reality,” said Mark Iverson, General Manager at BGMU. He credited the idea to an earlier sculpture resembling a water drop that caught his attention and sparked the vision for this broader initiative.

The design work was led by David Jones, Professor of Art at SKYCTC, with creative input from BGMU employees. The lightning bolt sculpture’s fabrication was overseen by Professor Hatcher and SKYCTC’s Welding students. Additionally, students in the Computerized Manufacturing & Machining program, under Associate Professor Chris Hagan, contributed by machining decorative anchor bolt caps—totaling over 40 hours of precision work. Students of the Collision Repair under the instruction of SKYCTC Professor Jon Hunt finished the sculpture with professional painting and sealing.

“This is a great opportunity to give back to the community and to give our students the chance to use their skills to create something they can take pride in,” added Hatcher. “It’s a project that blends education, craftsmanship, and civic pride.”