Sculptor chosen for MLK statue at Georgia Capitol

The Georgia State Capitol in downtown Atlanta.
The Georgia State Capitol in downtown Atlanta.

ATLANTA -- A sculptor has been selected to create a statue of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that will stand on the grounds of Georgia's Capitol, Gov. Nathan Deal announced Monday.

The governor's office said Andy Davis, who is based in Henry County, has been selected to make the statue that will stand in the northeast quadrant of the Capitol grounds overlooking the newly built Liberty Plaza.

Deal earlier this year appointed state Rep. Calvin Smyre, a Democrat from Columbus, to head up the effort to choose a sculptor and to act as a liaison between the state, the King Estate, the Martin Luther King Jr. Advisory Council and the Georgia Arts Standards Commission. Smyre presented the decision on the sculptor to the Georgia Building Authority board Monday morning.

"Placing a statue of Dr. King at the Capitol of his home state is a long overdue honor, and selecting an artist is an important step forward in this process," Deal said.

Smyre sponsored legislation during the 2014 session of the Georgia General Assembly to authorize the placement of the statue honoring King on the grounds of the Capitol.

photo The late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is shown in this Oct. 24, 1966 file photo.

"It is now time for us as a state to make this a reality," Smyre said in the statement. "Naming Andy Davis as the sculptor is the first step in that process. It was important that a Georgia sculptor be chosen for this historic project."

Davis, a full-time sculptor since 1999, works from his studio in McDonough. His previous works include statues of music legend Ray Charles, the Georgia Police Memorial, Chick-Fil-A founder Truett Cathy, Griffin County founder Gen. Lawrence Griffin and Patrick Henry, according to the governor's office.

The King Estate said it is grateful to everyone involved for working to ensure that the slain civil rights icon is appropriately honored.

"We believe the sculpture should capture the essence of Dr. King's legacy -- as a civil rights leader, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, a husband, father and a Georgian," the King Estate said.

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