Alex Palkovich Sculpture Trail

9-11 Memorial

Fragment #ES 76, is a 280-pound remnant of limestone brick salvaged from the US Pentagon, which was damaged in the attacked on 9/11/2001. The brick was brought to Florence by Colonel Barry Wingard. Alex worked with the Florence community to construct a suitable monument. The metal sculpture that clasps the fragment was designed by Alex and was welded at Florence’s ESAB factory using Nucor steel.

The memorial was dedicated on 9/11/2011, ten years after the tragedy that transformed Americans lives forever.

Its placement in the park is such that it catches the sun as it rises on each solstice, symbolizing new beginnings.

There is no life without sculpture. Everything is sculpture. The building in which you dwell, the chair upon which you sit, the car that you drive; all is sculpture. – Alex Palkovich

Alone with Memories

The monument depicts a woman holding a triangular folded flag of the United States which is given to next of kin of deceased heroes and war veterans. It was sculpted in memory of Alex’s parents Fannie and Marcus Palkovich who were survivors of the concentration camps Auschwitz and Mauthausen and were liberated by the US Army and Allied Forces. Alex donated the monument to the people of Florence for “their exceptional hospitality and kindness.”

Florence resident, Deborah Baccus, a nurse in the cardiology department at McLeod Medical who modeled for this piece, has worked with Alex on multiple occasions and is featured in other sculptures including On the Way to the Market.

A sculpture should tell its story by itself, without calling for long explanations. Drawing and paintings are like novels, where you can add pages until you feel understood; but sculpture is like poetry – you must use minimal words to generate maximal feelings. – Alex Palkovich

Eagle Obelisk

The centerpiece of Florence Veterans Park, the Eagle Memorial was designed in conjunction with Brown Memorial to honor the six branches of the US military.

Three 30-foot-tall obelisks are crowned by an American bald eagle sculpted in great detail and cast bronze.

When viewed from within, the monument forms a meditative space as the viewer looks up to see the eagle soaring above.

In 2009, the Eagle Memorial was awarded the International Award for Public / Civic Memorial by the American Institute of Commemorative Art.

It is important to me that the viewer forms an emotional attachment to my work. I hope to create sculptures that engage viewers intellectually when they stand before them and remain in their memory long after they have left them. – Alex Palkovich

Alex Palkovich was born in the Carpathian Mountains in the former USSR, which is now the Ukraine. He emigrated to Israel in 1973 with his family, later moving to Mexico and to the UK where he was the CEO of Elscint Magnet Technology from 1981-1998. Alex, who has an MA in Mechanical Engineering, has set up and managed factories around the world specializing in medical imaging, and he has been on the cutting edge of advancements in the field throughout his career. In 1998, Alex moved to Florence to manage Global MRI operations for GE.

Alex began sculpting at the age of six and continued to create and exhibit his work throughout his business career. In addition to the sculptures featured on this trail, Alex has had work installed in the UK and Israel. Alex was a member of the Oxford Arts Society and the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) where he also served as Vice President for three years. He is also the recipient of multiple awards and accolades, including a British Design Award, a People’s Choice Award from the National Sculpture Society, and awards from the American Institute for Commemorative Art, the Allied Artists of America, and Portrait Society of America. In 2010 Alex became the first South Carolinian elected to the National Sculpture Society, of which he has since been elected a Fellow.

Since retiring from GE in 2006, Alex has been actively engaged in bringing sculpture and art to the communities in which he lives. Alex was deeply involved in the redevelopment of downtown Florence and received the South Carolina Volunteer of the Year Award in 2010 for his help founding the Art Trail Gallery, which provided local artists a free exhibition space and was pivotal in the revitalization of the area. Alex was also involved in the foundation of the Florence Veterans Park and has artwork in various civic and cultural centers around the town.