Students and faculty gathered Sept. 18 to unveil a seven-foot wooden sculpture on the Floyd campus created by GHC alumnus and nationally recognized carver Jeremy Smith.
Smith, who has been featured on Food Network and other outlets such as Fox 5, 11 Alive and GPB, said the moment carried personal meaning.
“It means a lot. I’ve created art in other places, but this one is more personal. It’s here where I went to school,” Smith said. “Maybe some young person will see it and think, ‘Wow, I can’t believe some idiot did that to a tree,’ and feel inspired to create something of their own.”
“Ascendance,” a 7-foot wooden sculpture on the Floyd campus, features the words “talent” and “purpose” carved into its surface.
The sculpture, titled Ascendance, shows a young woman lifting a diploma. Smith said he wanted the design to reflect the spirit of achievement.
“When they first approached me, they asked if I could carve the school logo, but I thought that was too boring,” Smith said. “I drew up several designs and the one I called Ascendance was my favorite. It represents the idea of going from one level to another, which is what this college is about. For a lot of people, GHC is the stepping stone to bigger opportunities and I wanted the piece to reflect that.”
Smith began at GHC in 1994 and graduated in 2005 with a business degree.
Smith’s path to national recognition began in 2012 when he carved a pumpkin for his wife’s pre-K class. The seasonal hobby turned into a passion and within a few years he had moved from carving fruit to experimenting with wood. His first wood piece, a Green Man carved from firewood, sold for $1,000. He used the money to buy carving gear and a chainsaw.
In 2015 Smith competed on Food Network’s “Halloween Wars.” Since then he has carved public pieces across Rome and participated in charity events nationwide.
One highlight was the Chaptacular, an annual carving gathering in Gray, Georgia, where 50 carvers raised $193,000 for cystic fibrosis research in 2019.
Smith continued to use his work to give back. Recently, he raffled an eagle carved on Broad Street to raise money for his nephew who is battling stage four cancer. People can still donate to his care through April Kelly’s Venmo @April-Kelly-23.
For students and alumni, Smith hoped the new sculpture on campus would serve as a reminder of growth and possibility.
“I hope they see themselves in it, that sense of accomplishment and possibility,” Smith said. “It’s about celebrating where you are now but also where you are headed.”
His advice to students reflected the way his own journey began.
“Don’t be afraid to start small. My whole journey began with carving a pumpkin,” Smith said. “If you stick with something, even if it feels silly or unlikely at first, it can grow into opportunities you never imagined.”
