By Kurt Vetters
University of North Alabama
What does the Shoals area of North Alabama have in common with a community lying on the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland? Giant metal sculptures of music-makers, of course!
The town of Starbane housed a British army checkpoint at a bridge that was almost blown up during “The Troubles,” a time of armed conflict in Ireland. With the peace agreement signed and a new millennium at hand, local Irish artist Maurice Harron constructed five 18-foot-tall musicians and dancers symbolizing the shared musical heritage of the Irish people. Installed in 2000 and set in the middle of the crossing, the art installation was seen as a move toward partnership & harmony in a land formerly wracked by violence.
In 2009 Shoals residents the late Bill Matthews, a community planner & developer, and David Anderson, a community representative for TVA, were searching for a project that would unite the Shoals region around its common musical heritage. Matthews, an avid walker, noticed the sculptures in Starbane while walking in Ireland and was inspired to bring the idea to the Shoals. When he returned home, he and Anderson began promoting the Singing River Sculptures.
Sculptor Eric Nubbe and the City of Florence unveiled the latest Singing River Sculpture, “The Blues Man,” in 2024. It has become a landmark of the city, with photos of it continually splashed across social media representing Florence. Through a unique collaboration with local aluminum manufacturer Constellium and a dedicated team of volunteers including Anderson and Sandra Vetters, the larger-than-life trumpet player blowing his trumpet over the Tennessee River greets every visitor heading north into Florence crossing the O’Neal Bridge.
The first sculpture, erected in 2012 by the City of Sheffield and crafted by sculptor Audwin McGee, represents a 1950s-era rock ‘n’ roll singer. In 2014 the City of Muscle Shoals unveiled another McGee sculpture representing a musician sitting on a stool playing the bass guitar. Now with the addition in 2024 of the City of Florence’s “Blues Man,” Mathews & Anderson’s vision is almost complete. The proposed Tuscumbia sculpture is still in the planning phase.
To learn more:
- Read about the Starbane sculptures, called “The Tinnies” by locals in Ireland, ay the Derry Journal website. You can view other public art works by Irish artist Maurice Harron at his website.
- Here is a terrific article on sculptor Eric Nubbe in the magazine Light Metal Age that shows him creating the Florence piece.
- Lastly, watch Sandra Vetters discuss the idea behind the sculptures during her presentation at the unveiling of the Florence sculpture here.
