City of Jackson Seeking Input on New MLK Roundabout Sculpture

A view of the new roundabout at Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and Morrell Street looking north.  Photo courtesy City of Jackson.

(December 21, 2022 11:40 AM) The City of Jackson is asking residents to help decide what kind of sculpture should go in the MLK Drive Roundabout. Sculpture proposals are posted on the City website for residents to review and give input. There will also be an open house event on Wednesday, Jan. 4 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the MLK Recreation Center for residents to get an up-close look at the artworks and give feedback in-person.

The roundabout at S. MLK Drive and E. Morrell Street was completed in 2020 and is a gateway to Jackson’s south side neighborhood and MLK Corridor. Continuing the goal of filling roundabouts with sculptures, the City of Jackson put out a call for submissions in Sept. for artwork specific to the MLK Drive Roundabout. The City also asked that the submissions be reflective of the south side neighborhood and Martin Luther King’s legacy.

The sculpture selection is being facilitated by the MLK Roundabout Art Committee, which is made up of First Ward City Councilwoman Arlene Robinson and select members of the Jackson Public Arts Commission, Racial Equity Commission and MLK Corridor Improvement Authority. The committee is now considering four sculpture proposals from four artists: Ken Thompson, Maxwell Emcays, Doug Jones and Chris Turner.

Residents are encouraged to review the sculpture designs on the City website and email feedback to recreation@cityofjackson.org or attend the open house event on Jan. 4. The MLK Center is located at 1107 Adrian St. The MLK Roundabout Art Committee will review feedback following the Jan. 4 event and are likely to make a decision later this winter.

City Councilwoman Arlene Robinson represents the area where the new art work will be installed and invites her neighbors to be involved in selection process. “This new art piece will be a fixture of our neighborhood for decades, so it’s important people have their voices heard and feel it reflects our community,” Robinson said.

When the final selection is installed later in 2023, this will be the fourth roundabout/gateway to receive a sculpture installation in the City of Jackson.