Metro Parks Centennial Art Center Celebrates with Unveiling of "Path to A Higher Note"

Metro Parks Centennial Art Center is inviting the community to take part in the dedication and official unveiling of the Path to A Higher Note sculpture on Friday, June 16, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. This unique public sculpture commemorating Juneteenth also aims to recognize the broader reaches of Emancipation. Path to A Higher Note was created in 2021, during Nashville’s first Black on Buchanan Juneteenth Block Party and the nation’s first-time recognition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

As part of the Juneteenth festivities and to honor the role that creativity can play in resilience, forgiveness, and healing, Vanderbilt University’s Curb Center for Art, Enterprise & Public Policy commissioned local mosaic artist, Betty Turney-Turner, to create a sculpture recognizing the importance of the arts in Nashville’s Black community. Ms. Turney-Turner enlisted fellow creatives Beth Herring Volz, Martha Morales-Purucker, Alfred Turnery II and Robert Lee Turney, to help envision Path to A Higher Note.

Community attendees of the 2021 Black on Buchanan celebration were invited to help the creative team finish the sculpture by selecting a tile, writing the name of a loved one they wished to honor and thank on the back of the tile. Afterwards, the participants affixed the tile piece to the sculpture in a place of their choosing. In this way, the artists who created Path to A Higher Note provided the community with a way of recognizing their enslaved ancestors, creating a living tribute to those who came before while paving the way for a more promising future for coming generations. This emotional shared experience empowered the sculpture's creators along with community participants to use their collective journeys as inspiration for a pathway leading to a brighter future for all.

The sculpture depicts a young boy and girl standing atop a base made from the quilt block designs used to send messages to anyone traveling along the Underground Railroad. Each child proudly wears clothing featuring Adinkra symbols to acknowledge their African heritage. They stand with their arms pointed toward the heavens, forming a heart with the North Star, a symbol of true north and freedom, at its center. In their outstretched hands, the children hold musical notes symbolizing the important role music contributes in healing, celebration, and faith within Black culture.

Read more about Path to a Higher Note.

Metro Parks Centennial Art Center is located at 301 25th Ave North, Nashville, TN 37203 in the northeast corner of Centennial Park. The unveiling ceremony for Path to A Higher Note will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, June 16, 2023.