Harriet Tubman Traveling Sculpture Arrives in Sylva
The sculpture will be on display from September 20 to December 20, 2021.
Bridge Park in downtown Sylva, NC will be the temporary home for “Harriet Tubman—Journey to Freedom,” a dramatic 9-ft, 2,400-lb. bronze sculpture.
The 2021 themed event, “Journey to Freedom—Together,” is being organized and planned by the Jackson County NC NAACP Branch. A free public celebration featuring the sculpture will be held in Bridge Park, 76 Railroad Avenue, on Sunday, September 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. The event will include a keynote address by University of Alabama scholar Dr. Vincent Willis, music from musical trio Blue Jazz, dramatic performances, readings, and more.
Academy and Emmy Award-winning sculptor Wesley Wofford of Cashiers designed the sculpture to honor Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery in Maryland and led Black enslaved people on their journeys to freedom in North Carolina and elsewhere. In the powerful sculpture, a determined Tubman leans against the wind to pull a frightened girl by the hand in her escape from slavery to freedom.
Jackson County NC NAACP President Dr. Dana Murray Patterson states that the sculpture and public celebration provide an opportunity to “facilitate cultural understanding, create space for dialogue, and share traditions that represent a diverse community.”
The nationally touring sculpture is coming to Sylva with the support of the Town of Sylva, the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority, Calliope Stage, Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center, Dogwood Health Trust, Jackson County Arts Council, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Jackson County Friends of the Library, Jackson County NC NAACP Branch 54AB, Main Street Sylva Association, Reconcile Sylva, Western Carolina University’s Bardo Arts Center, Mountain Heritage Center, and Department of Intercultural Affairs.
