The African American Quilt Documentation Project (AAQDP) of Bartow County invites you to the unveiling of a new public art installation in downtown Cartersville, Pathways to Freedom: A Story in Every Stitch, a sculpture by Przemyslaw Kordys. The celebratory event will take place Thursday, May 10, at 2 p.m. outside Cartersville City Hall, 10 N. Public Square, Cartersville, Georgia. Kordys’ sculpture will become the first installation in a trio of public art pieces to be added in downtown Cartersville to form the new Cartersville Art Walk, funded in part by a Vibrant Communities Grant awarded by the Georgia Council for the Arts.
Inspired by the African American history displayed in the medium of story quilts in the recent exhibition “And Still We Rise: Race, Culture and Visual Conversations” seen at The Columbus Museum, the AAQDP commissioned Kordys, a Polish immigrant and U.S. citizen, to create a sculpture to symbolize the hopes and dreams of the pioneers of emancipation.
The 8.5-foot sculpture presents a motif of quilt patterns believed to have been used by enslaved African Americans in their escape to freedom. Legend holds the patterns were given code meanings that aided slaves in escaping via the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was primarily used three decades prior to the Civil War. While the extent of the use of quilts in The Underground Railroad is unknown, this sculpture represents the spirit and courage of those brave men and women in their determination to escape to freedom.
Guests are invited to return on Saturday, May 12, as the Cartersville Downtown Development Authority (DDA) hosts a downtown Cartersville Art Walk from Noon-7 p.m. The Cartersville Art Walk program is the start of an ongoing initiative by the DDA to bring more public art into the district. Downtown is a hub for the arts in Bartow County with opportunities to see music, theatre, comedy, dance, architecture and visual art all within a few close blocks. In addition to the Kordys sculpture, the event will debut two additional sculptures both by Georgia sculptor Eric Strauss:
Mesa Man by Eric Strauss; on loan from the Booth Western Art Museum
Created in the mid-1990’s for an exhibition at City Hall East in Atlanta, Mesa Man has evolved over time. Strauss designed this figurative piece as a diversion from his older work; it has been added to over time. Imagine standing on top of a Southwestern mesa, arms outstretched, gazing up at the moonlit sky, and you will know what it is like to be Mesa Man.
Element of Reason by Eric Strauss
Born out of Strauss’s early career, Element of Reason was the final piece created in his “Earth, Moon, Sun” series, which spanned from 1987 through 1995. Reflecting upon childhood memories of time spent deep in the mountains exploring nature and appreciating life, is what led to his spiritual creations in steel. Whether you’re reaching for the stars, or heaven above, there is an Element of Reason.