Cayuga Nation sculptures added to Seneca Falls trail

New sculptures commissioned by the Cayuga Nation have been added to the Frank J. Ludovico Sculpture Trail in Seneca Falls.

In a news release Friday, the nation announced that it commissioned Sam Castner, owner of IronVine Studios in Penn Yan, to create five sculptures representing the nation's five clans: snipe, bear, wolf, turtle and heron. They were installed by Castner on Oct. 16. They are the nation's "contribution to furthering the founder's dream of a trail that showcases local artists in an area rich with cultural heritage," it said.

The .9-mile trail is located along the southern bank of the Seneca River, and open year-round. It was founded by Wilhelmina Pusmucans in 1999 on what was originally a towpath and railbed.

The trail was intended to "provide a scenic hiking and biking path while providing artists a platform to create and display sculptures that explore historic and contemporary social issues," the nation said.

The new signage will be installed in the near future, the nation said. It began collaborating with the sculpture trail in summer 2023.