Johnny Cash Takes His Place in Argenta: Music Pavilion Grand Opening Friday in North Little Rock

An 8-foot bronze Johnny Cash statue now stands at the atg Pavilion in North Little Rock. The pavilion opens Friday and will honor 21 Arkansas music legends with bronze sculptures. A crane lifted the statue onto its pedestal before dawn Tuesday. Sculptor Kevin Kresse adjusted its position with a crew. Workers then bolted the statue into place. The statue is an exact replica of the one representing Arkansas in the U.S. Capitol.

The Cash statue anchors the west side of the pavilion. It faces Main Street. The pavilion will eventually house 21 sculptures. The sculptures honor 20 musicians and music industry executive Al Bell. Their work shaped American music across rock, blues, gospel, country, soul and classical.

Workers brought out six wrapped bronze busts Tuesday. Kresse created the busts of Glen Campbell, Al Green, Levon Helm, Louis Jordan, Florence Price and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Each bust carries the musician’s name on the back. Birth and death years are etched beside the name. An outline of Arkansas marks the musician’s hometown with a star. Plaques identifying the honorees are also being installed.

The full list of honorees includes:

• Johnny Cash
• Glen Campbell
• Al Green
• Levon Helm
• Louis Jordan
• Florence Price
• Sister Rosetta Tharpe
• Al Bell
• Big Bill Broonzy
• Albert King
• Jimmy Driftwood
• Lefty Frizzell
• Ronnie Hawkins
• Scott Joplin
• Charlie Rich
• Granny Almeda Riddle
• Pharoah Sanders
• William Grant Still
• Conway Twitty
• Sonny Boy Williamson
• Howlin’ Wolf

John Gaudin is the project’s campaign chair. He has lived and worked in the neighborhood for years. “I see it as a real gem in the crown in the arts district,” Gaudin said. “From an economic and tourism development perspective, that was a big deal for me to get involved in it.”

Gaudin praised Kresse as one of the top sculptors in the country. His friendship with Kresse helped draw him to the project. Kresse traces the project to 2018. He unveiled a bust of Helm in Marvell that year. The experience led him to consider how many Arkansas musicians had received little recognition at home.

Kresse worked with musician Greg Spradlin and radio host Stephen Koch. They developed a broader effort to honor the state’s musical heritage. Spradlin said working with Kresse on the Helm memorial inspired the broader effort. “I’ve been crawling around graveyards since I was 16 years old, following the music and the musicians, and think that Arkansas has never really acknowledged the icons that we’ve produced for the world,” Spradlin said. “And the fact that they’re getting a home here, it’s tremendous.”

A key part of the plan creates duplicate bronze busts for hometowns. Cash grew up in Dyess and Helm was from Marvell. Campbell was born in Billstown near Delight. Tharpe was born in Cotton Plant. Other connected communities include Brinkley, Pine Bluff, Forrest City, Helena, El Dorado, Mountain View and Texarkana.

A $3 Million Project Years in the Making

The approximately $3 million project broke ground May 11. North Little Rock Tourism, the nonprofit Argenta Arts Foundation, Kresse and private supporters developed it. Scott and Ruth Landers own Applied Technology Group. They are among the principal backers. The pavilion is named for their company.

North Little Rock Tourism funded construction of the pavilion. Private donations are paying for the sculptures. Construction moved rapidly in recent months. Workers assembled an elaborate steel structure. Welding continued through the hottest part of the summer. Temperatures hovered around 100 degrees.

Kresse first suggested a structure resembling a barn. The barn reflected the humble beginnings of many honorees. The design evolved into a church or temple appearance. The sculptures stand elevated above ground level. “To me, it’s almost a perfect metaphor for their lives, starting off very simply, humbly, in so many of these small towns in Arkansas, and went out and influenced the world,” Kresse said.

Pedestal Error Will Wait Until After Opening

Workers found one mistake on the Cash pedestal Tuesday. The pedestal matches the one in the U.S. Capitol. It features lyrics from “Man in Black” on one side. A quotation appears on the other side.

Cash’s birth year was listed as 1935. He was born in 1932. “It will get fixed, so I’m not worried about it,” Kresse said. Organizers said the error likely will not be corrected before Friday’s ceremony.

Hometown Sculptures Come Next

Kresse said future busts may arrive in groups of two. He will install them as he completes them. Two sculptures of Big Bill Broonzy and Albert King are at the foundry.

Molds are being made and the bronzes cast there. Kresse said Tuesday he is about halfway through sculpting Howlin’ Wolf. Duplicate castings of the initial busts are already made for hometown installations. A second Florence Price bust is not being produced in the first round.

Gaudin said Pine Bluff and Brinkley are expected first. The communities could receive sculptures in spring 2027. Kresse hopes hometown installations spur more local attractions. He said tourist arrivals could push towns to build on the investment.

Organizers also envision education programs for children. They hope to add a museum devoted to Arkansas music. Gaudin said fundraising continues for the pavilion, the hometown installations and the broader Arkansas Music Trail. Kresse said the project grew far beyond what he first imagined.

Argenta is North Little Rock’s arts district. The district is home to galleries, music venues and restaurants. The pavilion adds an outdoor stage to the district.

The grand opening runs from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday. The celebration also marks the reopening of the Argenta Music Complex. North Little Rock Tourism says it will include live music, food trucks, family-friendly activities and interactive exhibits.