Frank’s Boundless Imagination

This metal beast can be seen in the yard of Joe and Esther Marion. It's just one of many wonderful creations by sculptor, Frank Holder.

Frank Holder, 1931–2009

I never personally knew Frank Holder, but I’ve heard about him from my mother, and I’ve seen his wonderful handiwork. In fact, I see it every time I travel Highway 421 from Lewisville to Winston-Salem.

Just beyond the Lewisville/Williams Road exit on the right, at Joe’s Landscaping and Nursery, you can see some of Frank Holder’s big metal beasts, flowers and an unforgettable spider mailbox.

Taking photos of those sculptures had been on my mental list for a while, but I hadn’t gotten around to photographing them until yesterday. That’s because Frank Holder passed away earlier this week at the age of 78.

TO READ MORE about Frank Holder and to see more PHOTOS of his creations, please continue to the NEXT SECTION.

Gentle Man, Bold Art

If you didn’t know Frank Holder, you could easily conclude from his obituary (no longer available online) and a Winston-Salem Journal article about him that he was both incredibly talented and good-natured.

My mom and Frank were in the same grade at Lewisville High School, graduating in the Class of 1951. Ironically, if Frank were still living, he’d probably be attending his 58th high school reunion today. And, most likely, he would once more donate an intriguing creation of his as a door prize — a much-coveted door prize, I might add.

Mom describes Frank as someone that everybody liked. “He had a gentle spirit,” she says. Yet what fascinates me about Frank is that, for such a gentle and humble man, he sure had a wild imagination! On the outside — calm and affable. On the inside — the bold artist!

Out of that man’s mind came dinosaurs, a whale, a mermaid, and mammals of all sorts, fabricated from ordinary pieces of metal and other materials. And that’s just barely scratching the surface of his many creations. He must have been enraptured with the world he saw in his mind’s eye and had been eager to share it with others.

Memories and Photos

My mom says Frank will be missed at today’s class reunion. His classmates will no doubt share fond memories of Frank, and they’ll cherish not only the bold works of his hands, but the gentle life that he lived.

If you have some COMMENTS or MEMORIES regarding Frank or his art, please share your thoughts in the Comment section below.

To see more PHOTOS of Frank’s sculptures, please visit the Frank Holder photo gallery.