The Kingsport Carousel – one of the most unique attractions in the Tri-Cities – will celebrate its 10^th birthday in 2025. Therefore, Kingsport Cultural Arts (KCA) and Engage Kingsport are pleased to announce a special sponsorship opportunity to the community to help celebrate this milestone event.

KCA and Engage Kingsport are bringing back the G.O.A.T. energy by offering six fiberglass carousel horses to the community, where sponsors would paint and decorate to their liking and then have the works of art debut at the second annual Kingsport ARTS Festival.

The Kingsport ARTS Festival was a two-day event held this past April in downtown Kingsport, showcasing the best artists, musicians, performers and dancers from across the region. The festival included a parade with giant puppets, hand-made lanterns, projection artwork, an iron pour, glass blowing and Raku firing.

Next year’s Kingsport ARTS Festival – scheduled for May 3 – will include many of these same demonstrations and performances, along with activities for kids and adults, an art gallery crawl and the works of many skilled and innovative artists from across the region.

“The fiberglass goats were a huge success and are still a popular form of public art throughout the city. People still comment to me about seeing the goats on display,” said Special Events and Cultural Arts Manager Kristie Leonard. “This year, we’ve gone bigger with carousel horses and believe the community will be excited to see the results.”

Each fiberglass carousel horse will be cloaked in creativity, directed by a sponsor and executed by a local artist. After their premiere at the festival, the horses will be displayed throughout the community to provide entertainment and inspiration. Sponsorship funds will be used for special carousel projects to maintain and improve this beloved community space.

Each horse will need a sponsor (for $2,500), someone who is passionate about the arts and our Kingsport Carousel. Please consider sponsoring this unique, fun, festive and creative public art effort.

What do I get for a $2500 fiberglass carousel horse sponsorship?

1.  Ownership of the horse sculpture, with the option to donate it back to Engage Kingsport.
2. The choice of who will paint the horse is up to the sponsor. Kingsport Cultural Arts will provide a list if requested. Painters must follow the guidelines of the project (listed below).
3. Each horse may have a placard with its name and sponsor included.
4. Each sponsor will be highly recognized in marketing for the project, including, but not limited to, being recognized with the horses at the Kingsport ARTS Festival and the Carousel’s 10^th Birthday Party.
5. Each horse, by signed agreement, may be on display from the Kingsport ARTS Festival on May 3rd, 2025, and through late November 2025. Engage Kingsport may request to keep the horses on display longer with permission from their sponsor. At the conclusion of the display period, sponsors must either take possession of their horse or donate it back to Engage Kingsport.

Horse painting guidelines:

1. Each horse needs to be painted or decorated.
2. The horse can be painted/decorated as the sponsor see fits with either abstract or realistic symbolism or design.
3. All decorations or paint should be secured to the horse so that nothing falls or flakes off.
4. No decorations should leave sharp edges of any kind.
5. All décor/paint should be both indoor/outdoor materials.
6. All designs must be approved by the Public Art Committee as Public Art for the City of Kingsport. Sponsors must submit a mockup of the design for approval by January 1^, 2025.

For more information about sponsoring a carousel horse, please contact Engage Kingsport at engagekingsport@gmail.com or call 423-392-8416.