Waterin’ the Work Mules Statue Unveiling: Photos

Sculptor Bob Coffee helped with the official unveiling of Waterin’ the Work Mules on Tuesday. The bronze sculpture at the corner of Seventh and Main Streets is the first to be commissioned by the Arts and Culture Board.

Waterin’ the Work Mules honors Coffee’s father, who grew up on a cotton farm. The statue also references a time in Georgetown’s past when work mules were tied up at hitching posts or watered on the downtown Square. Charles Aguillon, chair of the Arts and Culture Board, talked about the artist and the statue prior to the unveiling (at right).

The Georgetown Arts and Culture Board selected Coffee’s work in April 2008 from a field of more than twenty proposals. It was chosen for its artistic quality and also because of the importance of agriculture in the history of Georgetown and Williamson County.

Coffee looks on (below) as Georgetown Mayor George Garver, Ruth Roberts, Eric Lashley (orange shirt), and Judy Fabry unveil the Waterin’ the Work Mules statue for the first time. Roberts is the prior chair of the Arts and Culture Board and Eric Lashley and Judy Fabry, who both work for the Georgetown Public Library, are staff liaisons to the board.

Artist Bob Coffee talks about the statue after it was unveiled.

Coffee completed the sculpture several months ago. It has been on display at a sculpture garden in Lakeway while the site in Georgetown was being prepared. A similar piece to the one in Georgetown will be placed in University Park, a Dallas suburb, where the elder Coffee was mayor from 1950 to 1970.

For details, contact Eric Lashley, Georgetown Public Library director, at (512) 930-3551 or epl@georgetowntx.org.