Audwin McGee Sculpture

Larger-than-life sculptures would honor Shoals music

Pride in the musical heritage of the Shoals is a common sentiment held by residents, but the inspiration for a civic arts project celebrating that heritage came from an unexpected source.

Traveling through Europe several years ago, Shoals resident Bill Matthews came across "Let the Dance Begin," a series of five semi-abstract sculptures of figures dancing and playing instruments, in Strabane, Northern Ireland. Thick ribbons of stainless steel and bronze form the 18-foot pieces a man and a woman facing each other, poised to dance, with musicians playing the drum, fiddle and fife.

"When I saw them, my very first thought was that we just had to have something like that here in the Shoals to celebrate the music heritage we have," Matthews said.

He researched the sculptures and began to discuss with others his idea of the Shoals having a similar art display, its pieces paying tribute to what in folklore is considered the source of the area's music, the Tennessee River, or the "Singing River." Matthews envisions the sculptures perhaps as many as 13 as tourist attractions, larger-than-life artworks that tell the story of the Shoals, from its Native American roots to the blues and jazz, from gospel to rock 'n' roll.

It has taken years of volunteer efforts, support from community organizations and businesses, grant money and the artistic vision of Tuscumbia artist Audwin McGee, but now, fundraising for the Singing River Sculptures project is ready to begin.

"This project has the possibility of becoming a prominent aspect of our area," said McGee in an e-mail.

"Hopefully, we will gain a leg up on the promotion of our music heritage as well as a step forward in educating ourselves and the world as to what has taken place here (and) shed a spotlight on what is happening now."

Created in 2000 by artist Maurice Harron, "Let the Dance Begin" is positioned on the border of Strabane, which itself borders the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom. The border and the River Foyle divide Strabane from the city Lifford, in Ireland, and in the countries' more tumultuous pasts, checkpoints existed at the border for those wanting to cross to either side.

The fiddler stands on the Lifford side, and the fife player stands on the Strabane side. The drummer stands between them, linking the musical ensemble.

The similarities are striking to Matthews as he reflects on the sculptures; there sit two cities divided by a river but sharing much of the same cultural heritage. The Shoals' four cities don't share the political strife of Strabane and Lifford, but the call for unity transcends cultures.

Still in its infant stages, the Singing River Sculptures are planned as four semi-abstract sculptures one each in Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia placed in highly visible spots, Matthews said, such as a city entryway. The capstone of the project will be a cluster of about seven to nine sculptures overlooking the river.

Created from recycled aluminum donated by Wise Alloys, a producer of aluminum can stock based in Muscle Shoals, the pieces' sizes would range in respect to their locations. The goal is for each to be larger than life, about 18 to 20 feet tall.

"We want a wow factor," said David Anderson, who has worked with Matthews on the project. "We want people to walk past or drive past and say, 'Wow, what is that?'

"We think that not only will they honor the music heritage, we think they will probably become tourist attractions in their own right. We don't know of anything like this in the Southeast."

Specific artists or musicians would not be depicted in the sculptures, but rather will the genres of music that make up the fabric of the area, Matthews said. McGee plans to create figures representing genres such as Native American music; blues and jazz; mountain and country; rhythm and blues, including a focus on female backup singers; and rock.

"Mostly, the figures will be more abstract in body with their musical instruments, faces and hands being more lifelike," McGee said.

Two small-scale models of potential sculptures created by McGee already are on display at the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art in Tuscumbia, as are several sketches.

The project is a collaboration between the four cities, the Tennessee Valley Art Association, the Music Preservation Society, Wise Alloys and various volunteers.

McGee does not have an estimate for the time each sculpture would take to produce, and as the project is just now beginning its fundraising stage, no one has a firm start or end date in mind.

McGee created the models thanks to a grant from the Daniel Foundation in Birmingham, and other funding already has been secured, Matthews said.

The official start of fundraising is Nov. 1, and donations are accepted at the TVMA. Design and sculpting fees for each work are estimated at $15,000 to $20,000.

Officials at Wise Alloys said in an e-mail they are working with McGee to determine how much recycled aluminum would be required for the project, adding that while the company promotes recycling, they believe this is the first time its aluminum has been used in an artistic endeavor.

When approached by Matthews and Anderson about the project, McGee took the two to his art studio. There, they saw what they were looking for, Matthews said: a semi-abstract sculpture of a woman that when propped up stands 9 feet high.

"When we saw that we said, 'He is the man to do these,' " Matthews said. "It was serendipitous that he had already done something very similar to what we were talking about. And the work that he did was just exceptionally good."

Locations for the sculptures in each city, as well as the cluster of sculptures in one spot, still need to be determined. But everyone behind the project is unanimous on one style point: The sculptures need to be huge.

"If they're not tall, they become just another sculpture," Matthews said. "These have to be really dramatically tall. Unlike Ireland, where you might approach things on foot, we don't walk here. You're going to be approaching them by car.

"If they're small, you'd pass them before you saw them. If they're tall and well located, then as you're approaching them by car, you'll get that sense of awe."

He and Anderson imagine residents and tourists stopping to have their picture taken next to a piece, which would sit in a well-landscaped area, they said. Perhaps a plaque will be placed next to each sculpture to provide background on the project, Anderson said.

"They're going to be as big as our music heritage," said Mary Settle Cooney, director of the TVAA. "They're going to reflect that in a great way."

Much still needs to be accomplished before even the first sculpture can be created, but McGee, Matthews, Anderson and others all are positive that members of the community will support the project.

Wise Alloys' contribution of recycled aluminum alone shows "a lot of faith and appreciation" for the plan and the community, Anderson said.

"It's doable, and it's gonna work," Cooney said. "It's going to be great for the community."