THOMSON – Painted Stella replica guitars and murals are part of Thomson’s public art landscape.
The 12 guitars are part of the McTell 12-String Strut and are situated along Main Street and Railroad Street. At the Thomson Depot, an audio box provides the project’s history as well as info on Blind Willie McTell and includes a sample of McTell’s music.
The Thomson-McDuffie County CVB Introduced the project in 2016.
“McTell’s 12-String Strut is a public art project meant to recognize and honor the legacy of Blind Willie McTell, his music and the fact that such an influential musician was born and lived in McDuffie County. Made up of 12, 7-foot-tall polyurethane replicas of the 12-string Stella guitars that McTell was known to have mastered,” according to the CVB website.
“Blind Willie McTell, one of the pioneers of country blues guitar, was born just south of Thomson, Georgia, in the area known as Happy Valley in McDuffie County. One of his most famous songs, “Statesboro Blues”, has been a staple for blues bands for decades. Many musicians consider McTell an influence, including Bob Dylan, who paid tribute to him with his song “Blind Willie McTell”, according to the Blind Willie McTell Festival website.
In addition to the guitars are several murals on nearby buildings.
Charmain Z Brackett is the publisher of Augusta Good News. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Subscribe to the free newsletter here.
Great article!! Nice pics, too!