WILMINGTON, N.C. – The summer art exhibit at Airlie Gardens has been stretched into winter this year. It got a late start due to the pandemic but the artists were determined to finish their creations, nonetheless. Once the exhibit was installed, the garden staff wanted to make sure it got its full glory and decided to extend it.

“It does take a village for all of us to be able to bring joy,” says Janine Powell, the director of donor relations at Airlie Gardens. “Between the artists, the Airlie staff, and our devoted volunteers, we're so happy to have this exhibit available to the public.”

For the past eight years, the art has been a giant creation of some kind – including gnomes, hearts and frogs. This year, it's oversized, fiberglass squirrels. The 4-foot-tall squirrel statues were all painted by local artists and are now scattered throughout the gardens, just waiting to be found by unsuspecting guests.

“I love seeing pictures even if I don't know the person, it just makes me really happy to seem them enjoying it and saying 'hi' to my squirrel,” says Laura Kalina, one of this year's artists.

She and the other artists hope that people find some happiness in the colorful critters, and staff say they love to see kids run up to touch them and look at all of the designs.

“Look at them, you cannot help but [let] them make you happy,” says Suzanne Langevin, the summer art exhibit caretaker. “They're all cute. You get attached. I start conversations with them all the time.”

Langevin has been the caretaker for the summer art exhibits for the past several years and says she enjoys the change in her normal volunteer activities with the gardens. She goes around making sure each of the 10 squirrels is in tip top shape for visitors.

Now, they can be seen during the daylight or at night as part of Enchanted Airlie. The squirrels themselves will go up for auction after they're taken off display in the New Year.