Sculpture work continues this weekend on Beach Boulevard

Tree sculptor Marlin Miller will be creating more sculptures from standing dead trees in the median of U.S. 90 this weekend, while a group of volunteers will be installing landscaping at the existing Katrina sculpture garden just west of the Biloxi Lighthouse.

The two efforts are part of the city’s on-going initiative to create works of art from Beach Boulevard trees that succumbed to Hurricane Katrina’s storm surge.

Earlier this year, Mayor A.J. Holloway commissioned award-winning “chainsaw artist” Dayton Scoggins of Sandersville, Miss., to craft egrets, pelicans, fish and dolphins from standing dead trees in the center median of Beach Boulevard, a block east of the Biloxi Lighthouse.

The sculptures have become popular attractions with visitors and visiting media, and photographs of the works have been e-mailed around the world.

On Saturday morning, volunteers with the Mississippi Renaissance Garden Foundation, Harrison County Master Gardeners and the Biloxi Chamber will install landscaping at the sculpture garden. Anyone interested in volunteering to help with the planting should bring their shovels to the site at 9 a.m. Gloves will be provided.

On Saturday afternoon, Miller, an award-winning wood sculptor from Fort Walton Beach, Fla., will continue his volunteer sculpture work on remaining dead trees in the highway median.

“What we’ll end up having here is a trail of Katrina sculptures highlighted by a Katrina sculpture garden,” Holloway said. “We’re creating works of art from these dead trees and creating a new visitor attraction at the same time.”

See the photos and video of latest sculptures

— To see online photographs of artist Marlin Miller’s work last weekend, and to see a video interview with the artist at work, click here.

— To see photos and video of Dayton Scoggins’ original work in March, click here.

— To see Scoggins’ follow-up effort in May, when the pod of dolphins was crafted from a single tree, click here.

— To see the site plan for landscaping at the Katrina sculpture garden, click here.