Published: May 07, 2008 10:25 am         

Sculpture provides hands-on history lesson

By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



Students at Fultondale Elementary School can now put their hands on a work of art that spells out the area’s history.

A large metal sculpture created for the future Fultondale Coke Ovens Park was temporarily placed at the school on May 2.

Commissioned by the Cawaco Resource, Conservation and Development Council, the sculpture will likely be at the school for at least two years, according to Francesca Gross with the council.

“We wanted it to reflect the local mining history. We want the local history reflected in everything we do,” said Gross. “It’s a monument to the coke ovens.”

Gross called the sculpture “a perfect fit” at Fultondale Elementary, with principal Cynde Cornelius very excited about it being at the school.

“She was very interested in getting it here,” said Gross.

Gross said she had requested that the sculpture meet two requirements: That children could touch it, but not climb on it, for safety reasons.

She said the work of art is “very sensory,” with raised words and maps that the children can feel.

“I want the students to connect to the history of it,” she said.

Gross said that people in northern Jefferson County are proud of their heritage, with many adults having played in Five Mile Creek when they were children.

The Fultondale Coke Ovens Park will be built at the intersection of Highway 31 and Five Mile Creek. It is part of the Five Mile Creek Greenway.

Joe McCreary, resident artist for the Sloss Metal Arts program, led the sculpture project, with six artists working on it.

McCreary spoke to the students, answering questions and explaining the process of creating the sculpture.

The city of Fultondale poured the slab at Fultondale Elementary and helped with installing the sculpture.

The sculpture was funded by a $10,000 Challenge America Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, according to Gross.