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Arts in Public Places

In 2011, MAC partnered with the City of Greenville’s Art in Public Places Commission to create a viable funding conduit for public art. Our first project was with Young Friends of Florence, a Greenville-based, student-run arts organization that promotes education and understanding of Italian art. Headed by Rivers Hughes, a senior at Christ Church Episcopal School, Young Friends of Florence raised well over $60,000 for a statue in Poinsett Plaza entitled Il Porcellino. Il Porcellino is a bronze sculpture of a wild boar that has strong historical and cultural significance in Florence, Italy. The original sculpture is located in Il Mercato Muovo, a popular market that is heavily populated with residents and tourists. The 17th-century sculpture is a well-known attraction, and according to local legend, if you rub the boar’s nose, you will return to Florence. If you place a coin in the boar’s mouth, and the coin falls into the well of the fountain below, you will have good luck.

Working closely with the City of Greenville, the Design Review Board, community leaders, and the Friends of Florence organization in Italy, Rivers and his fellow club members saw Il Porcellino come to fruition. The sculpture is an outstanding addition to Greenville’s impressive array of public art, and we look forward to working with the Young Friends of Florence and city officials in the future.