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Culture and Nature Celebrated Through New Public Art Project at Historic Mentone Campus
Ribbon-cutting set for June 18 at 10 a.m. for 10-foot tall “Firmly Planted, Forward Moving” metal leaf totem installation
MENTONE, Alabama — The Little River Arts Council has selected Deedee Morrison’s “Firmly Planted, Forward Moving.” sculpture for a public art project to be installed at the historic Moon Lake Village campus. The project invites people to reflect upon Mentone’s rich heritage of cultural, historical, and natural resources — including how, as a community, we can honor our past and celebrate our collective future.
The 10-foot-tall white oak leaf aluminum totem pays tribute to the old white oak tree in front of the historic schoolhouse, which has occupied the site just off Alabama Highway 117 since 1928. The tree inspired the Moon Lake Elementary School motto, “Firmly Planted, Forward Moving.”
LRAC will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the site on Tuesday, June 18, at 10 a.m. The public is encouraged to attend.
“For this public art project, we wanted a sculpture that would relate to our belief that art is for everyone while celebrating the natural history and beauty of the Mentone area,” says Juli Jordan, president of LRAC. “This sculpture honors the gift of beauty that nature has provided while also echoing the essence of its message: that we are a collective and each little part contributes to the health of the whole.”
The metal sculpture features laser-cut pollinators, including indigenous bees and butterflies, that bring this message of collaborative communication to life. “It asks us to think more deeply about our role in the community and provides space to gather and converse,” Jordan says.
The story of the oak leaf sculpture adds to the ever-present, collective story of Mentone and the historic Moon Lake campus. “It’s a story of community, creativity, connection, collaboration, and art,” says Jordan. “The school’s motto, reflected in the sculpture’s title, arose from a unified belief in education and the power of knowing one's roots, values, and cultural heritage.”
The school was closed in 2021 and the DeKalb County Board of Education deeded the property to the Town of Mentone. The Town has undertaken a major renovation and reimagining of the campus, creating an artisan village with vendors and art galleries as well as an outdoor amphitheater. The property is also the site for the annual Mentone Fall Festival.
“This oak totem offers Mentone the opportunity to honor our past by creating a unified narrative of the former school being transformed into a celebration of the arts,” says artist Morrison. “It encourages people to let the school evolve out of its past and into an enduring future. By understanding Moon Lake’s narrative, we can utilize the best aspects of what came before and create tangible momentum for the path ahead. The totem stands at that union between past, present, and future and invites us all to consider how they weave together.”
Landscaping and site preparation began May 1st on the front lawn of the campus. Installation of the sculpture is expected to be complete by early summer. “We believe pedestrians and travelers will have a memorable art experience that celebrates the history and importance of place,” says Jordan. “We encourage the public to visit the site and reflect on how we are all interconnected — to one another, to our culture and history, and to our collective futures.”
“Firmly Planted, Forward Moving” was funded in part by a grant from the Lyndhurst Foundation. Morrison will forgo the artist’s stipend that was part of the call for submissions. These funds will be available for LRAC to reinvest in the community for future public art projects.
Ribbon-cutting set for June 18 at 10 a.m. for 10-foot tall “Firmly Planted, Forward Moving” metal leaf totem installation
MENTONE, Alabama — The Little River Arts Council has selected Deedee Morrison’s “Firmly Planted, Forward Moving.” sculpture for a public art project to be installed at the historic Moon Lake Village campus. The project invites people to reflect upon Mentone’s rich heritage of cultural, historical, and natural resources — including how, as a community, we can honor our past and celebrate our collective future.
The 10-foot-tall white oak leaf aluminum totem pays tribute to the old white oak tree in front of the historic schoolhouse, which has occupied the site just off Alabama Highway 117 since 1928. The tree inspired the Moon Lake Elementary School motto, “Firmly Planted, Forward Moving.”
LRAC will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the site on Tuesday, June 18, at 10 a.m. The public is encouraged to attend.
“For this public art project, we wanted a sculpture that would relate to our belief that art is for everyone while celebrating the natural history and beauty of the Mentone area,” says Juli Jordan, president of LRAC. “This sculpture honors the gift of beauty that nature has provided while also echoing the essence of its message: that we are a collective and each little part contributes to the health of the whole.”
The metal sculpture features laser-cut pollinators, including indigenous bees and butterflies, that bring this message of collaborative communication to life. “It asks us to think more deeply about our role in the community and provides space to gather and converse,” Jordan says.
The story of the oak leaf sculpture adds to the ever-present, collective story of Mentone and the historic Moon Lake campus. “It’s a story of community, creativity, connection, collaboration, and art,” says Jordan. “The school’s motto, reflected in the sculpture’s title, arose from a unified belief in education and the power of knowing one's roots, values, and cultural heritage.”
The school was closed in 2021 and the DeKalb County Board of Education deeded the property to the Town of Mentone. The Town has undertaken a major renovation and reimagining of the campus, creating an artisan village with vendors and art galleries as well as an outdoor amphitheater. The property is also the site for the annual Mentone Fall Festival.
“This oak totem offers Mentone the opportunity to honor our past by creating a unified narrative of the former school being transformed into a celebration of the arts,” says artist Morrison. “It encourages people to let the school evolve out of its past and into an enduring future. By understanding Moon Lake’s narrative, we can utilize the best aspects of what came before and create tangible momentum for the path ahead. The totem stands at that union between past, present, and future and invites us all to consider how they weave together.”
Landscaping and site preparation began May 1st on the front lawn of the campus. Installation of the sculpture is expected to be complete by early summer. “We believe pedestrians and travelers will have a memorable art experience that celebrates the history and importance of place,” says Jordan. “We encourage the public to visit the site and reflect on how we are all interconnected — to one another, to our culture and history, and to our collective futures.”
“Firmly Planted, Forward Moving” was funded in part by a grant from the Lyndhurst Foundation. Morrison will forgo the artist’s stipend that was part of the call for submissions. These funds will be available for LRAC to reinvest in the community for future public art projects.
