Bearing Witness:
Praise House - Sun Shadows
Tony M. Bingham
Premise
The Wallace House is a former plantation built in 1841 that has been empty for generations in Harpersville, Alabama. Today, Black descendants of the enslaved who built the house and white descendants of the enslavers have come together to reimagine it as a venue for racial truth and reconciliation through the arts.
Its inaugural installation is from Tony M. Bingham, a Birmingham-based artist and teacher at Miles College, whose mixed-media work in iron sculpture and photography explores the roles of labor, craft, and memory at sites with connection to African-American heritage.
The “Praise House” is an open-air sculpture meant for contemplation, evoking the rituals of enslaved people who often retreated into brush arbors for quiet worship and meditation. It features reclaimed materials from the site and region, such as stained glass and Sylacauga marble, and its centerpiece is a steel-cut image of Scotts Grove Baptist Church, casting ethereal sun shadows throughout the year.
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While researching the local descendent community, Tony visited Jesus Delivery Chapel in Vincent, Alabama, where he selected a few traditional hymns to be reinterpreted. When experiencing the sculpture in person, visitors are encouraged to listen to this audio excerpt from the choir rehearsal in 2021.
Architectural Design by Creature Builds
Making Of
A short film by 1504 will chronicle the making of the sculpture and its connection to the place, asking: How might art be part of the healing process? How do artists work in complex spaces like this?
The story provides a snapshot into the evolution of place and a community working together to imagine a more equitable future.
Coming 2023
Photo by Daniel Lawson
“I choose to interpret the site of the plantation through a lens of acknowledgement of African-American craft mastery, spiritual foundation origins, and family. I look at the house and witness the carpentry skills on display. I would consider how the plantation is a reminder of the hands of the enslaved in this monument to that time.” -Tony M. Bingham (Art Inquiries, Vol. XVIII)
Learn more about Tony and his practice here
Artifacts from Daisy O’Neal are now on display inside the Wallace House, honoring the spiritual legacy of community members who inspired this project.
Thank You
The Wallace House is part of Klein Arts & Culture, a 501(c)(3) committed to raising the consciousness about race through dance, music, poetry, visual arts, and education.
Thank you for your interest in this work. For more information about Klein Arts & Culture, visit here. For inquiries about the film, contact 1504.
