Longtime community member honors the hands that built Drexel through his artwork

Growing up on Drexel’s Settlemyre Road, Dan Hoyle’s fondest memories range from getting a haircut and listening to some fine bluegrass at the downtown Barber Shop to riding The Scrambler at the annual Community Fair.

As he reminisces about his childhood in the town that was once known worldwide for being a leader in the furniture industry, he says it’s the people in the community who were its greatest resource. Hoyle, now 72 years old, has a name and a face attached to each memory.

Mrs. Hudson at the little public library downtown; Coach Shull on the football fields on Friday evenings in the fall; Hilda McNeely, Julia Pittman, Clyde Shuping, Ann Denton, Reynolds Hollifield, Maude Stover, Ruth Sutton, Ralph Abernethy, Mary Parrish and Garnie Brendel all in the classroom providing students with an excellent education.

Those are just a few of the leaders that many long-time Drexel community residents remember. But Hoyle doesn’t just ruminate on the past. As an active member of Grow With Drexel, he is working in collaboration with many Burke community members to make Drexel a destination once again.

His newest stained-glass project, “A Community of Hands,” will accompany one of the latest efforts to bring more people into Drexel. The Burke River Trail, which is spearheaded by Beth Heile and the Burke River Trail Association, will connect communities in Burke County through a 40-mile walking trail.

Heile, executive director of the Burke River Trail Association, said that Hoyle’s project in Drexel will set the precedent for future educational and artistic displays throughout downtowns and along the entire trail.

“We are excited this partnership with Dan came together,” Heile said. “From the beginning, we wanted the Burke River Trail to be more than just a traditional hiking-biking trail — we envisioned it as a platform to highlight stories, art, history, and community pride. Dan’s project is the perfect first showcase of that vision and sets the tone for what’s possible along the trail.”

The culmination of over a year’s work laid out on brightly colored glass panels features business owners, furniture factory employees, hosiery mill workers, teachers, faith leaders, community volunteers, and craftsmen who worked and continue to work within the greater Drexel community.

Long-timers within the Drexel community are sure to recognize many of the community members represented in the artwork, but Hoyle said their names will not be displayed as he wants people to appreciate each industry as a whole and all of its workers.

The concept of the project was inspired by two different projects, one being Jim Warlick’s Burke County History Museum project called “The Dignity of Work.” The project is a tribute to all of the people who made Burke County what it is through hard work.

In turn, Hoyle wanted to create a project that would do the same for Drexel. The stained glass and wood came in as inspiration from artist Louise V. Durham and her use of glass and wood together in a vertical form.

The installation will be located in the Downtown Drexel Park with approval of the exact location in the park to be determined by the Board of Aldermen. Hoyle has collaborated on the project with Josh and Amanda Singleton of Metawood Design Company, which will preserve each stained-glass panel within a live edge oak display, a nod to the furniture industry. Amy Brooks of Paradise Custom Glass also helped Hoyle with fused glass and painted details. Each display will include professional signage to describe the workers that are pictured, which will be funded by the Burke River Trail Association.

Hoyle will give the artwork to the town, but funds will be needed for displays, signage and installation, so Grow With Drexel will be taking donations for the project. The goal is to raise at least $40,000, by the end of August so the installation can be done by the end of the year

Hoyle also said that a private donor has offered to match all funds donated in order to make the project a reality. The funds will also go toward maintaining the artwork for years to come.