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Justicia, Libertad

Justice and Liberty statues street art NashvilleOzment Law does not hide its politics. With a major emphasis on immigration law, it’s not surprising that the agency is not supportive of Donald Trump. As of the day of this post, the sign out front makes that very clear, taking him to task for profiting off of tax subsidies. What gets Ozment on this blog, however, are the two statues that guard the doorway, labeled Justice and Liberty, with their Spanish translations.

Located at 1214 Murfreesboro Pike. Plenty of parking. And even if your immigration status is solid, they do other kinds of law as well.

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A word, a wing

Bird & Books statue street art Nashville
One of the first pieces to make me start to think about public art in Nashville is this bit of whimsy. I don’t know the people who live at 705 Setliff, but I do know they like public art, at least in their front yard. I wonder about the neighbors. Certainly, it makes directions easy. “We’re two doors down from the books with the birds and the Newton’s cradle. What? Oh, you’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it.”

Located at 705 Setliff Place, just north of Eastland, a couple blocks west of Rosepepper and Jenni’s and Ugly Muggs. Some street parking on Setliff, easier if you’re willing to walk a bit. This is a private home, so be respectful.

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Put another shovel on the fire

Shovel sculpture public art Nashville
It’s Labor Day, so I’m going to be lazy and use this photo that popped up in my Facebook memories from last year. This is official Metro-funded public art, part of a series of works called “Watermarks” commissioned in the aftermath of the 2010 flood. “Tool Fire” (2013), situated on the Shelby Park Greenway near the pedestrian bridge, commemorates the volunteers who helped clean out homes, and the tools they would pile at the street for other volunteers who came later, according to the artist, Christopher Fennell. Not everyone is a fan, but for anyone climbing up the spiral to the bridge, it means you made it to the top, and it’s a nice place to sit.

Located just steps to the west of the Cumberland River Pedestrian Bridge, on the Shelby Bottoms (west) side. The closest parking is on the other side of the river, at the trailhead on Two Rivers Parkway at Wave Country Wave Pool and the Two Rivers Skatepark. Or rent a bike at Shelby Park and head up the greenway and give that hill a try!

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Going, going,….?

Gibson Guitar sign Nashville street art
Gibson Guitar is selling the building at 1117 Church St., so the fate of this giant guitar and the guitar mural on the other side (see below) is uncertain. I’m putting them both in the category “endangered art.” If you have any insights or inside information, please post in the comments.

The mural is on the west side of the building, best seen from Church St, though at present a construction fence complicates the view. Park below the bridge and take the stairs — they come out right in front of the building. The guitar, on the southeast corner, is a little harder. The land closest to it is inside a locked fence. If you can’t get in, the parking lot across from Chauhan Ale and Masala House on Grundy St is your best bet, where I took my photo.

Gibson sign mural street art Nashville

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Run, run, run!

Wilma Rudolph statue Nashville TSU
How public is art on a campus slowly being encircled by fences and gates? Well, even if the TSU campus were locked up tight, this lady would be visible from the road. Built about six years ago, at 46 feet tall the Olympic Statue (sometimes called the Olympian Statue or the Olympic Torch Runner Statue) was created by TSU art professor Jane-Allen McKinney. It honors the long history of TSU Olympians, notably Wilma Rudolph, who won three gold medals for running events in 1960 and a bronze in 1956. The names of TSU Olympians are inscribed on the base.

Located on the TSU campus, off Dr. Walter S. Davis Blvd., near the Gentry Athletic Complex. Virtually impossible to miss.

Olympian statue Nashville TSU

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A saint among us


Religion has, of course, always been a major force driving humans to create art, and the Catholic Church has long been one of the world’s great art patrons. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and School is hardly the only church in Nashville that has invested in public art, just the first featured on this blog. There will be more!

Joseph, carrying his traditional carpenter’s tools, can be found at 1225 Gallitan Pike South, just north of the cemeteries that are themselves just north of Briley Parkway.

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A Stalwart Nashville Citizen


When does a sign become public art? Obviously, that’s a judgment call, but by any yardstick the Ironworkers Local 492 sign has to count. I have often wondered just how many ironworkers there were around here. Turns out around 450 union members in middle Tennessee and south-central Kentucky, according to the 492’s website.

This statue is of course well known to anyone who drives down Dickerson Pike on a regular basis, signifying that you’ve almost made it downtown and Trinity Lane is right around the curve. He’s a little rusty after years in the weather and rain, but if anyone knows how to care for a metal statue, I’d guess the ironworkers would know how!

UPDATE: The statue has since gotten a fresh coat of paint. See A refurbished stalwart citizen.

At 2424 Dickerson Pike.

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