The Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg presents John Scott: I Remember Birmingham on view January 27 – February 23, 2011.

This installation by one of New Orleans most gifted artists honors the four girls who died in the 1963 Birmingham church bombing. The glass blocks are placed on pedestals, like memorials; include poetic calligraphy; and glow from within. Their coloring suggests church windows, once shattered, now transformed through art. Scott creates a ritual piece, a spiritual space, a place for people to gather and reflect. The black prints on the wall contribute to a powerful exchange. Scott once noted: “What I’ve been trying to do…is make a piece of art thatwould be similar to what African American musicians have done with gospel and blues and jazz. So that when you hear it, it wraps your soul.”

Image: John Scott (American, 1940-2007) I Remember Birmingham (1997) Seven hand-pigmented glass blocks and seven relief prints from the blocks Gift of The Stuart Society

Related posts:

1. Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg Announces John Scott I Remember Birmingham
2. Birmingham Museum of Art Announces Guide to the Collection
3. Transcending Vision: American Impressionism 1870–1940 at the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg