Research Catalog

Title

Stone songs on the Trail of Tears : the journey of an installation / by Pat Musick with Jerry Carr and Bill Woodiel.

Author

Musick, Pat.

Publication

Fayetteville : University of Arkansas Press, 2005.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Additional Authors

• Carr, Jerry, 1932-
• Woodiel, Bill, 1927-

Description

xix, 77 p. : col. ill., col. maps; 24 x 29 cm.

Summary

In March 2002, artist Pat Musick, her husband, Jerry Carr, and historian Bill Woodiel set out to commemorate a portion of the great and tragic Trail of Tears. On the Trail of Tears, the Cherokees, among other American Indian tribes, were forced to migrate westward, leaving their homelands for the unknown. Following the tradition of Christo, and inspired by installation artist Andy Goldsworthy, Musick and her crew created an art installation. It is an eye-catching piece of art featuring five yokes that combine oak, wood, steel, and native Ozark sandstone, designed to represent the struggle of those who took the brutal journey. The installation traveled to twenty-two stops along the Benge Route across nothern Arkansas, the actual route taken by some of the Cherokees in 1838. Musick and her crew moved the installation to each spot along the Trail of Tears; sometimes using the wagon ruts or other physical remains still present to guide their way. Time was spent in each area, meeting locals, setting up, photographing, and moving on, as ephemeral as the Cherokee's journey itself. This book chronicles the journey, with full color photos, poetry (Musick imagines a young Cherokee mother making the trip with her child), maps, journal entries, and introductory essays on art and history. This is a beautiful and powerful portrayal of the strength, courage, and perseverance of the Cherokee people. It is more than a book; it has become a documentary piece of history. - Publisher.

Subject

• Conceptual art > Arkansas
• Musick, P
• Musick, Pat
• Site-specific installations (Art) > Arkansas
• Trail of Tears, 1838-1839, in art

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Artistic Perspective: Yokes on the Trail of Tears, an Introduction by Donald Harington ix -- Historical Perspectives -- Cherokee Removal / Jack D. Baker xiii -- History of the Trail of Tears / Bill Woodiel xv -- The Journey -- The Journey Begins 1 -- Pitman Ferry Road 4 -- Columbia Crossing 6 -- Catalpa Spring, the Meadow 8 -- Catalpa Spring, the Spring, Late Morning 10 -- Catalpa Spring, the Spring, Early Afternoon 12 -- Catalpa Spring, the Woods 14 -- Batesville 16 -- Poke Bayou 18 -- Mount Pleasant 20 -- Wray Farm 22 -- Whitfield Farm, the Gap 24 -- Whitfield Farm, the Wall 26 -- Denton Ferry, the Hill 28 -- Denton Ferry, White River 30 -- Wood Farm 32 -- Carrollton 34 -- Gobler 36 -- Coleman Farm 38 -- Near Qualls Farm 40 -- Johnson Farm 42 -- Fayetteville 44 -- Ballard Creek 46 -- Woodall Place 48 -- Candid Images of the Journey 56.

ISBN

1557288003 (alk. paper)

LCCN

^^2005015325

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library