Birmingham, Ala. – In partnership with City Walk, Vulcan Park & Museum is proud to announce the unveiling ceremony of the seventeenth Vulcans on Parade on August 30, 2023 at 10:00a.
The statue, created in honor of President & CEO Emerita, Darlene Negrotto will be named Beloved Birmingham an exploration of the city’s history through parks.
Negrotto was the President and CEO of Vulcan Park Foundation for 19 years before retiring in April 2023. James Parker, Vulcan Park and Museum Junior Leadership Board Chair is excited for both the Birmingham community and tourists to see the latest statute.
“Although I was not the Project Manager for this Vulcan on Parade statue honoring Darlene, I was blown away at the passion from both the Birmingham community and the artist”, Parker states. “The sense of support and togetherness is extremely evident as soon as you see it. Darlene has been an excellent representation of both Vulcan Park Foundation and the community, and I look forward to many more Vulcans on Parade statues throughout the Birmingham region.
Painted by local artist Melissa Shultz-Jones, the statue will be located at City Walk, located at 2200 9th Avenue North in Birmingham. Shultz-Jones states, “I was originally tasked to illustrate the idea of “green spaces,” which moved my hand to paint our finest parks, as well as the places of enjoyment that are not “green” but still free for exploration within their walls or fields or paved areas- beloved and an integral part of the community.”
Beloved Birmingham is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, Protective Life Foundation, Medical Properties Trust, Mike Temple and Regions Bank.
The unveiling is free and open to the public but will also broadcast live on Vulcan Park & Museum’s Facebook and Instagram pages. To RSVP, email marketing@visitvulcan.com by August 28.
Vulcans on Parade is a community art project led by Vulcan’s Junior Leadership Board. It began as the brainchild of a team of young professionals participating in the 2015 Project Corporate Leadership class. Additional Vulcans on Parade locations include Railroad Park, BJCC, Kinetic Communications, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Birmingham Zoo, PropHouse Event Rentals, Birmingham-Southern College, Pizitz Food Hall Courtyard, Magic City Dentistry, Oak Mountain Elementary School, Redmont Distilling, Maynard-Cooper, Liverpool, England, i3 Academy and Patriot Park in Homewood.
Local businesses, communities, or individuals who would like to get involved in the project can learn more by clicking here.