artsbma.org
The Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA) will host a panel discussion Thursday, January 9, on artist John Rhoden’s Birmingham roots.
The event is free and open to the public.
The museum’s current exhibition, Determined to Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden is on view through April, and offers a comprehensive look at Rhoden’s career, showcasing over 50 works that span his journey as an artist. From intimate studies to monumental public sculptures, the exhibition celebrates Rhoden’s legacy as a groundbreaking sculptor and his impact on the art world.
Born and raised in Birmingham, Rhoden (1916–2001) was an accomplished twentieth-century African American sculptor. This exhibition presents the first comprehensive retrospective of his artwork.
The free program will chronicle his journey beginning with his formative years in Birmingham’s Smithfield neighborhood, his education at A.H. Parker High School, and his eventual return to the city as an internationally celebrated sculptor. The program will also include insights into Rhoden’s artistic and personal milestones, from his early exposure to sculpture to the works he created in Birmingham, including his tribute to Civil Rights icon the Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth.
Panelists include Dr. Sylvea Hollis, historian and author of the exhibition catalogue, who will delve into Rhoden’s roots in the Smithfield community; Dr. Penny Seals, UAB professor, who will explore the educational landscape of Parker High School during the 1930s; Wayne Coleman, Head of Archives at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, who will discuss Rhoden’s sculpture honoring Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth; and Dr. Brittany Webb, exhibition curator from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, who will share insights on Rhoden’s early sculptural training and his connection to Legion Field.
In addition, attendees will receive a special map highlighting key Birmingham locations associated with Rhoden’s life and work, encouraging continued exploration of his legacy throughout the city.
With a sculptural sensibility defined by his extensive world travels, sensualism, and a breadth of visual influences, Rhoden worked in a style that was ahead of his time. Featuring approximately 50 sculptures in bronze, wood, and stone, the exhibition illustrates the visual and technical mastery of this award-winning artist.
Rhoden attended Industrial High School (now A. H. Parker High School) before attending Talladega College. In 1938, Rhoden moved to New York City where he studied at Columbia University and the New School for Social Research before launching into a sculpture career that took him around the world, resulting in major public commissions throughout the United States and in Birmingham, where his sculpture of the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth stands outside the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
BMA presented Rhoden’s first solo museum exhibition in 1985. A group of works featured in the exhibition will also remain in the permanent collection of the museum, the first sculptures by Rhoden to join the museum’s collection. This gift will ensure that Rhoden’s legacy remains celebrated in his hometown art museum in perpetuity.
For more information, visit artsbma.org. Founded in 1951, the Birmingham Museum of Art has one of the finest collections in the Southeast. More than 27,000 objects displayed and housed within the Museum represent a rich panorama of cultures, including Asian, European, American, African, Pre-Columbian, and Native American.
