A new public art installation is taking shape in downtown New Bern to recognize the African American craftspeople whose work helped build the city’s historic landscape.
Crews began installing the sculpture Monday at Wilson Park as part of the Tryon Palace Inclusive Art Project.
The installation commemorates African American artisans whose skills helped shape New Bern during the 18th and 19th centuries. According to Tryon Palace Program and Community Engagement Coordinator Vincent Biggs, those craftspeople worked in trades including tailoring, brick masonry, rope making and coopering to create livelihoods for themselves.
“They used their skill sets like a tailor, a brick mason, a ropemaker, cooper, to create a livelihood for themselves,” Biggs said.
The sculpture was inspired by Catherine Bishir’s book, “Crafting Lives: African American Artisans in New Bern.”
Sculptor Stephen Hayes said the artwork is intended to connect visitors with the city’s past while looking toward its future.
“We envision it being a portal into the past to see the black artisans and how they work and bring us to the future and to today. So more like a futuristic kind of art piece,” Hayes said.
The installation will feature painted metalwork, lighting and interactive QR codes that allow visitors to access historical information and a virtual experience on their phones.
“As they approach and get closer to the structure, information will populate on their cellphone, and it will give them the opportunity for them to take a virtual tour into time,” Biggs said.
The project was envisioned and created by an all-Black creative team that includes two sculptors and an artist.
Hayes said preserving and sharing this history is an important part of the project.
“We’re at a point in the world where everything in black culture didn’t exist, where they’re washing it away and not really highlighting what really happened here,” Hayes said.
The sculpture’s main structure was expected to be installed Tuesday. Artists will return in the coming weeks to complete the design and add the interactive technology.