ATLANTA -- Henry County-based sculptor Andy Davis has been selected to create a statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the Georgia Capitol grounds, Gov. Nathan Deal announced Monday.
Davis has worked as a full-time sculptor since 1999, and forms his creations at the Andy Davis Studio inside the Hood Street Art Center in McDonough. His works include the Georgia Police Memorial, a Ray Charles sculpture in the singer's hometown of Albany, Ga., and a life-size rendering of late Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy.
"I am confident that Andy Davis' past works ... have prepared him well for this historic project," Deal said in a statement.
The Dr. King statue will be added to the northeast quadrant of the Capitol grounds overlooking Liberty Plaza. It will replace a likeness of 19th century politician and newspaperman Tom Watson, a white supremacist. Watson's statue was removed from the Georgia Capitol lawn in November 2013.
"Placing a statue of Dr. King at the Capitol of his home state is a long overdue honor," Deal said.
Georgia Rep. Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus) headed up the Dr. King sculpture project and acted as liaison between the state, the King Estate, the Martin Luther King Jr. Advisory Council and the Georgia Arts Standards Commission.
"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired our nation with his dream of hope, peace, justice and human rights," Smyre said in a statement. "I am honored to have played a role during the 2014 Legislative Session in passing House Bill 1080, which authorized the placement of a Capitol-grounds statue honoring Dr. King."
The new statue will be built with private money. Its final cost has not yet been determined.
