What do a fearless civil rights leader and a legendary country music outlaw have in common? They’ve both taken their rightful places in the U.S. Capitol, representing Arkansas, and you can see how in “Unveiled: Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash.”
The documentary – from Arkansas PBS and award-winning filmmaker Nathan Willis – explores the creation and installation of Arkansas’s newest statues and the enduring legacies of two of the state’s most iconic figures. The film premieres Thursday, March 20, at 7 p.m. on Arkansas PBS, at myarpbs.org/live and in the PBS App.
A free, advance screening of the film will be held Wednesday, March 19, at 7 p.m. at Robinson Center, 426 W. Markham, Little Rock. Registration for the event is required at myarpbs.org/unveiledscreening.
For more than a century, National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol has displayed two statues from each state, recognizing remarkable individuals whose achievements reflect and contribute to the nation’s collective identity.
Subjects for the new statues were chosen by the Arkansas Legislature. In 2019, the Arkansas General Assembly agreed to replace the state’s first two Statuary Hall sculptures of Uriah Milton Rose and James Paul Clarke with statues of civil rights activist Bates and world-renowned singer/songwriter Cash. The parameters for the design and creation of the statues had to meet the meticulous standards of the office of the Architect of the Capitol.
“Unveiled” documents the selection, creation and installation process of these new works for National Statuary Hall; illuminates the lives of Bates and Cash as worthy subjects for this honor; and reflects the creative process of the artists commissioned to create these sculptures. The film features steering committee interviews with the artist finalists, behind-the-scenes footage of the artists at work, and the installation at the U.S. Capitol.
Daisy Lee Gatson Bates (1914-1999) was born in Huttig, Arkansas. She was an NAACP leader and led the school integration movement in Arkansas during the civil rights era. Bates served as an advocate and counselor for the nine students who were part of the historic desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in 1957. She is one of the first African American women honored with a sculpture in National Statuary Hall.
Singer and songwriter John R. "Johnny" Cash (1932-2003) was born in Kingsland, Arkansas. A towering figure in American music, he sold 90 million records during his career; was inducted into the Country Music, Rock and Roll, and Gospel Music Halls of Fame; and became known as a champion of the working class, of Native Americans, and of those whom life had dealt a tough hand. Cash’s statue is the first of a musician in National Statuary Hall.
Kevin Kresse of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Benjamin Victor of Boise, Idaho, were commissioned by the National Statuary Hall Steering Committee and the Arkansas Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission to sculpt the two new statues.
TUNE IN:
Watch the premiere of “Unveiled: Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash” Thursday, March 20, at 7 p.m. on Arkansas PBS, at myarpbs.org/live and in the PBS App!
JOIN OUR FREE SCREENING EVENT: Register here for a free advanced screening event.
