Montgomery in Montgomery County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Marching to Montgomery

— Montgomery Public Art —

Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 18, 2020

1. Marching to Montgomery Marker

Inscription. The sculpture, made of corten steel, mimics the arched shape of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL. The silhouettes, cut as one solid shape, symbolize the marchers' determination to complete the 50-mile journey from Selma, AL and reach the steps of the Capitol in peaceful protest of to obtain equal voting rights for all Americans, regardless of race. The patina of the sculpture as it ages represents the passing era of voter inequality. The negative space left by the silhouettes suggests the marchers have successfully moved on from the final campsite at the City of St. Jude and overcome the struggle to exercise the right to vote.

Artists: Jon Cook
Barrett Bailey
Robert Minervini
Chuck Parkinson

Medium: Corten Steel

Dimensions: 12'x 10'x 12'

Dedicated: March 6, 2015

Erected 2015 by Montgomery Public Arts Commission.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Civil Rights. A significant historical date for this entry is March 6, 2015.

Location. 32° 21.1′ N, 86° 19.507′ W. Marker is in Montgomery, Alabama, in Montgomery County. It is at the

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intersection of West Fairview Avenue and Oak Street, on the right when traveling west on West Fairview Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2018 W Fairview Ave, Montgomery AL 36108, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Alabama’s Tri-Counties River Region.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Black Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Campsite 4 (a few steps from this marker); Heroes' Welcome (within shouting distance of this marker); A Refuge (within shouting distance of this marker); City of St. Jude / The Selma to Montgomery March (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Historic Sites Near Fairview Environmental Park (approx. 0.3 miles away); Support: Local and Organizational

Marching to Montgomery Marker and sculpture. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 18, 2020

2. Marching to Montgomery Marker and sculpture.

(approx. half a mile away); Charlie and Lucille Times (approx. 0.6 miles away); Bertha Pleasant Williams Library (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montgomery.

More about this marker. Weathering steel, often referred to by the genericized trademark COR-TEN steel and sometimes written without the hyphen as corten steel, is a group of steel alloys which were developed to eliminate the need for painting, and form a stable rust-like appearance after several years' exposure to weather.

Sculpture at St. Jude Apartment Building (formerly St. Jude Catholic Hospital) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 18, 2020

3. Sculpture at St. Jude Apartment Building (formerly St. Jude Catholic Hospital)

Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 30, 2014

4. Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 18, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 620 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 18, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.