Feb. 5, 2025
New Arkansas PBS film shines a light on sculptors, subjects of statues recently placed in U.S. Capitol; screening slated for March
CONWAY, Ark. (Arkansas PBS) — 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. “Unveiled: Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash” – an original 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 documentary will premiere Thursday, March 20, at 7 p.m. on Arkansas PBS, at myarpbs.org/live and in the PBS App.
“‘Unveiled’ explores the profound impact of Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash on the history of our great state and the nation,” Arkansas PBS Executive Director and CEO Courtney Pledger said. “From their humble beginnings to their lasting influence, their statues stand as a tribute to the pivotal roles they played in shaping American culture and society.”
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.
“For those of us who have had the honor to be a part of this historic event in our state's history, we will always consider it one of the greatest moments of our lives,” Shane Broadway, Chairman of the National Statuary Hall Steering Committee, said. ‘“Unveiled” will share our experience, highlight two amazingly gifted artists, and share the challenging yet inspiring Arkansas stories of Daisy Gatson Bates and Johnny Cash for generations of Americans to come.”
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.
According to the Architect of the Capitol website, Victor focused this portrayal of Bates through the lens of her leadership. Based on both photographs and written descriptions of her in her 40s, the depiction captures a composed and stylish Bates confidently striding forward with notebook and newspaper in hand. Her optimistic expression reflects her warmth, charm and unbroken calm. Victor was inspired to emphasize this optimism by the positivity that Bates expressed in her 1962 memoir. The statue of Bates was cast at Parks Bronze Foundry in Oregon and stands on a granite pedestal, with a total height of more than 10 and a half feet. The statue of Bates was unveiled in National Statuary Hall on May 8, 2024.
The same website explains that Kresse's portrait of Cash centers on an imagined moment: Cash, as a mature artist, visits his childhood home on the way to perform at a festival named after him. He looks downward as he steps forward with his right foot. Lost in thought, he grapples with many different emotions, his left hand gripping his guitar strap at his chest, his right hand clasping a Bible at his side. Though his posture is still, the bowed head draws the viewer's eye toward his face. Cash's serious, contemplative expression belies his sense of humor, instead underscoring the gravity of the moment. The statue of Cash was cast at The Crucible in Oklahoma and stands on a pedestal clad with tan limestone from Eureka Springs, Arkansas, with a total height of nearly 11 feet. The statue was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center's Emancipation Hall on September 24, 2024.
A free, advance screening of the film will be held in March. Information will be shared at myarpbs.org/events when it becomes available.
In addition to the documentary, Arkansas PBS will release a series of digital shorts on Facebook and Instagram leading up to the premiere.
Major funding for “Unveiled: Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash” was provided by the Foundation for Arkansas Heritage and History. Additional funding was provided by the Moving Image Trust Fund. The Foundation for Arkansas Heritage and History (FAHH) supports the Division of Arkansas Heritage (DAH), a division of Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, as well as heritage and history projects in general that identify Arkansas’s heritage and enhance the quality of life of Arkansans by the discovery, preservation and presentation of the state’s cultural, historic and natural resources.
About Arkansas PBS
Arkansas PBS, Arkansas’s only statewide public media network, empowers learners of all ages by educating, informing, entertaining and inspiring communities. Arkansas PBS serves as a daily and essential resource for Arkansans by creating, sharing, celebrating and driving conversation around Arkansas stories and classic, trusted PBS programs through multiple digital platforms, including livestreaming at myarpbs.org/live, on-demand services and YouTube TV, and the distinct channels Arkansas PBS, Arkansas PBS Create, Arkansas PBS KIDS, Arkansas PBS WORLD and Arkansas PBS AIRS on SAP. Members with Arkansas PBS Passport have extended on-demand access to a rich library of public television programming. Arkansas PBS depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at myarkansaspbs.org. Arkansas PBS is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), KETZ (El Dorado), KETS (Lee Mountain), KETS (Forrest City), KETS (Yancy) and KETS (Gaither).
About Kevin Kresse
Kevin Kresse grew up with 10 brothers and sisters, several of whom were interested in art. He first took formal art classes in college and completed an art degree at the University of Arkansas Little Rock. After several years working in advertising, he shifted to focus exclusively on his own artwork. His early work consisted primarily of paintings and other 2D works. While teaching at the Arkansas Arts Center (now the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts), Kresse took sculpture classes and began to include 3D works in his gallery shows. He also completed a bronze casting workshop at the University of Arkansas Little Rock. He has exhibited work in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Memphis, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; and at various locations in Arkansas. His monumental statues and busts are displayed from Alaska to Georgia, including a bust of musician Levon Helm at Helm's childhood home in Arkansas. His awards and fellowships include the 2015 Individual Artist for Arkansas from the Governor's Art Awards and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts—Mid-American Arts Alliance. Kresse continues to paint in addition to his sculptural work and has started working on community-oriented outdoor murals.
While working on this statue of Cash, Kresse consulted typical sources like photographs and biographies. He visited museums to see Cash artifacts and listened to Cash's music while he was working. Cash's family provided feedback on the likeness and clothing, and Kresse inscribed the names of Cash's children on the lining of the coat. The state statue commission also shared measurements from Cash's tailor. Kresse worked with a model, a Cash impersonator who closely matches Cash's proportions, to refine the statue's posture. Kresse identified with the peaks and valleys of Cash's career, and he appreciates Cash's humanitarian or activist side. In an interview, he noted that when people learn about this statue and tell him their personal stories about Cash, they always speak about moments of kindness or acts of generosity – of "choosing love."
About Benajmin Victor
Benjamin Victor initially learned about art from his grandmother, an art professor. He first tried sculpting at Northern State University in South Dakota and fell in love with working in three dimensions. He won his first large commissions when he was still in college, including his first sculpture for the National Statuary Hall Collection. His other works in the U.S. Capitol are: Sarah Winnemucca (Nevada, 2005), Norman Borlaug (Iowa, 2014) and Chief Standing Bear (Nebraska, 2019). While these statues are all bronzes, he also carves marble and trained with a Florentine master stone carver.
Victor has received national and international recognition, including several awards from the National Sculpture Society. He is artist-in-residence and professor of the practice at Boise State University in Idaho. Victor also maintains a studio where he can carve marble and execute many of the elements in the bronze casting process.
Victor works in both abstract and figurative styles. Even when creating a portrait sculpture, he prefers a conceptual approach, focusing on the spirit of the person and the reason the portrait was commissioned. He edits and refines a sculpture at each step of the modeling process.
For this statue of Bates, Victor consulted photographs and written descriptions, as well as Bates's own writing. He also spoke with people who knew Bates and captured their memories of her in the finished work. Working from a scanned copy of the Arkansas State Press, he hand-carved the newspaper headlines.