“Dancers” to become the third addition to Norfolk Sculpture Trail

By Colleen Gundlach

Art and history will meet in Norfolk this fall when a sculpture by Ann Curtiss Scoville is installed in the town center. The installation marks a homecoming of sorts for the artist who was born in Norfolk in 1919.

Ann Curtiss was born in Norfolk and grew up in the Solomon Curtiss homestead at the corner of Mountain Road and Sunset Ridge. Her artistic talent emerged early. After marrying Herbert Scoville, a nuclear arms control advocate, she moved with him to the Washington, D.C. area and raised their four children while she continued her artistic journey. Later she returned to the northwest corner of Connecticut, settling in the Taconic area of Salisbury, where she honed her skills as an accomplished sculptor. One of those sculptures will be placed in Norfolk in October.

The Norfolk Community Association launched the sculpture trail in 2023 as a way to enhance the downtown area and create stronger connections throughout different parts of town. Doreen Kelly, who co-chairs the sculpture trail project with Walter Godlewski, said the goal is to create a pathway that draws people through the center of Norfolk.

“With Route 44 running through the center of town, we can be disjointed,” Kelly said. “We want the sculpture trail to be able to lead people from Greenwoods Road through City Meadow and up to Station Place.”

The trail began with Jon Reideman’s “Owl of Good Fortune,” installed in Robertson Plaza in 2023. It was followed in 2024 by “Lotus,” which was created by Elizabeth Knowles and Eric David Laxman. “Lotus” was recently moved to Greenwoods Road, where it now sits at the head of one of the trails into City Meadow.

Scoville’s sculpture “Dancers” will become the third addition to the sculpture trail. The Scoville family has generously donated the work as a gift to Norfolk. “We are pleased and proud to welcome an Ann Scoville work to her hometown ,” Kelly said.

“Dancers” will be installed on town land behind Norfolk Library, near the pathway leading down from Town Hall. Local stonemason Karl Munson will lead the installation, assisted by Jon Reideman. Kelly said Munson was able to find the same type of stone used in the train station at Station Place and has it ready for the project.

Godlewski said the new sculpture is one more step toward drawing people through town and linking Norfolk’s public spaces. He would like to see more sculptures added, though funding remains a challenge. The project relies on fundraising one installation at a time, along with donations from residents and support from groups such as the Evan Hughes Charitable Trust.

“Our goal is to have sculptures lead people from Lotus, down through City Meadow, up to Station Place, then maybe to Village Green and Town Hall,” Godlewski said. He hopes “Dancers” will spark conversation among people with different perspectives and help attract a younger crowd. “That’s the future of the town,” he said. “Dancers” will be unveiled on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m., on the town land adjacent to the Icebox Café. All are invited.