In celebration of Black History Month and the arrival of “Motown the Musical” in Nashville, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center brought another artform to their Dedrick Street location: the Cultural Heroes art exhibit.
Sculpted by artist Alan LeQuire, these icons are the first seven in an ongoing series in which he explores the variations of clay forms and texture.
LeQuire created the exhibit as an ode to cultural heroes, specifically African Americans who had roles in inspiring the Civil Rights movement.
Stepping away from the standard portrait, LeQuire designed and sculpted each life size portrait head to emulate the character and artistry of those being honored.
The seven role models currently on display at the exhibit are Billie Holiday, Lead Belly, Paul Robeson, Bessie Smith, Josh White, Marian Anderson and Woody Guthrie.
The portraits are on display in the main lobby of TPAC until Feb. 20.
Photos and copy by Meg MacDonald.