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Around 2009, the four towns comprising the Quad-Cities decided, in their finite wisdom, to erect statues depicting the area's music heritage. Things went fairly well at first. The Sheffield artwork, NOT ELVIS PRESLEY, and the Muscle Shoals entry, NOT DAVID HOOD, were designed and completed by Florence sculptor Audwin McGee. Both are reasonably compelling works of art and an asset to the towns.
Then things began to go wrong. Due to increased production costs, Mr. McGee needed more money for his Florence sculpture, presumably to be called NOT LOUIS ARMSTRONG. The city balked and quickly signed a contract with a second artist. Things didn't go well there either, so Craig Wedderspoon of Tuscaloosa wound up with the final commission. It was 2024 before the final product was erected near O'Neal Bridge. No comment on the amount of aluminum wasted on that one. Three down and one to go.
It's now been at least 15 years, and Tuscumbia's artwork is still missing in action. This week, Mayor William Foster gave an update on the status of the Indian pipe player. There was good news and bad news.
To be continued (If sculptor L. S. would like to comment for the blog tomorrow, we will be happy to publish his side of the brouhaha)...
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Wait a minute, I thought all of these "Tin Men" were being donated by the Muscle Shoals Musical Heritage Foundation or some made up group of idle rich wives of musicians and technical people who work and own one of the few studios that are left in the area. Dandy Andy Betterton and crew gushed all over Rodney Hall, Rick Hall's son from Fame Studio when the "Tin Man" was dedicated on South Court Street. I heard on the last example of the tin man playing a bugle on Court St. the sidewalk and rails cost Florence taxpayers over $50k. It may be worth it to some. To me it looks like somebody smoking whacky backy at Stringfellow Body Shop could have welded it together on a rainy afternoon. But the one in Florence does actually look better than poor Sheffields. In Sheffield the main statue looks like he has the ricketts. Those twig legs look like they will snap any minute. In a way this story is making me like the mayors across the river who are holding out on payment. Some of these statues are just BAD! And a protest with reporters all over the world came to cover it because of the Confederate memorial statue at the Lauderdale County Courthouse? It is the most lifelike and statue showing actual skill and true artistry of them all. Sculpted with stone not tin. It is historical like the others only constructed by a talented artist using realism as a guide. Nothing abstract or messagie about it. No wonder the art world never came to the Confederate statues defense? It is actual ART!
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