Inside the entrance of the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden along the Path of Hope & Healing stands a beautiful 21’ tall butterfly sculpture. Designed by artists Chris Scartung and Scott Poynter, the largest butterfly’s 10’ wingspan is adorned with the 12 colors representing the 12 most diagnosed cancers in the commonwealth of Kentucky. There are also 12 matching colored glass ribbons along the garden’s path.

White – (Lung Cancer)
Pink – (Breast Cancer)
Light Blue – (Prostate Cancer)
Dark Blue – (Colon Cancer)
Black – (Melanoma)
Orange – (Kidney Cancer)
Yellow – (Bladder Cancer)
Lime – (Lymphoma)
Peach – (Uterine Cancer)
Orange - (Leukemia)
Periwinkle – (Esophageal Cancer)
Purple – (Pancreatic Cancer)

The statue constructed from 3,000 LBS of mild steel was designed as a duplex system, meaning it will be hot-dip galvanized prior to being painted. This decision was made to ensure the longest possible life of the monument. A duplex system combines the corrosion resistance properties of zinc coated steel with the atmospheric protection provided from painting to achieve a synergistic effect, increasing the service life by 1.5 to 2.5 times longer than the sum of the individual coatings. Duplex systems have become much more popular in recent years, especially for those looking for the aesthetics of a color coat while taking advantage of the additional service life benefit.

The complex design of each butterfly with proper venting/draining considerations took over 40 hours of fabrication to create. The design worked great for hot-dip galvanizing and after a light acid etching by the artist it was ready for the colorful duplex coating. Thanks to the forward-thinking efforts by those involved, the people of Southern Kentucky will enjoy the healing power of art & nature on the Path of Hope & Healing for generations to come.