and Inspiring Its Future: A Community of Hands
In Drexel, art, history, and community pride are coming together in a powerful new way—through a public art installation titled A Community of Hands, created by local artisan and retired school principal Dan Hoyle. The Burke River Trail Association (BRTA) is proud to support this meaningful effort by providing interpretive signage design and helping bring attention to the growing role of public art along our future 40-mile trail.
A Community of Hands is more than an art piece; it’s a tribute to the working people who built Drexel and continue to shape it today. Through a series of stained glass panels embedded in towering live-edge hardwood slabs, the installation will honor seven archetypes—teachers, ministers, furniture workers, hosiery mill workers, community helpers, business owners, and craftsmen. Each tribute is carefully researched and designed by Dan, using photographs transformed into stained glass patterns, and fabricated with the help of local partners Metawood Design and Paradise Stained Glass.
What makes this project so special is how it’s rooted in local collaboration. With input from Drexel community members, support from Grow With Drexel, and guidance from Drexel Town Manager Bill Carroll, the installation will offer a “walk through history.” Visitors will stroll past each tribute, learning about the town’s legacy through thoughtful signage and striking craftsmanship.
That’s where the Burke River Trail Association comes in.
As we work to connect all nine towns in Burke County with a continuous hiking and biking trail, we’re also investing in the vibrancy of each downtown. In addition to offering Drexel a branded trail kiosk and a visitor-friendly map of local shops, restaurants, and cultural highlights, BRTA is designing interpretive signage to accompany A Community of Hands. These signs will reflect the same visual identity as our trail markers—creating a cohesive experience that blends outdoor recreation, public art, local history, and economic development.
Dan’s installation helps show that the Burke River Trail is more than a path for walking or biking—it’s a platform for storytelling, creativity, and community pride. We hope that Drexel’s example will inspire similar public art initiatives in the other trail towns, making each downtown not just a stop on the trail, but a destination in its own right.
We’re honored to be part of this shared vision for Drexel’s future—and we can’t wait for visitors and residents alike to experience the beauty, meaning, and craftsmanship of A Community of Hands.
Draft of the Explanation that will be provided with the art installation.
Since its beginning in 1913, Drexel has been a place for working people. Through the years, those who came here found opportunities and became productive community members. Some showed their skills at furniture and hosiery production. Others toiled to help and inspire their fellow human beings. Hundreds of strong hands labored every day to transform raw material into items of greatness, and the Drexel name soon came to stand for quality. Carpenters and mill workers, ministers and teachers, barbers and seamstresses – they all played special parts within these few square miles to create rewarding lives for themselves and others. From schools to churches, from concerts to fairs, the town has maintained a spirit of strength and kindness that its citizens have helped to nurture. At the end of each day, these workers could feel satisfaction in their accomplishments.