May 1, 2007

LIVINGSTON, Ala.—Sixteen mosaic stepping stones featuring Black Belt flora and fauna and handmade by Sumter County schoolchildren under the direction of artist Linda Muñoz were added to the permanent display at the Black Belt Garden on the University of West Alabama campus. The stones were presented to the University during a recent dedication ceremony at the Jack Pleasant Greenhouse.

Muñoz is a founding member of the Black Belt Glass Arts Guild, which received a grant from the Black Belt Community Foundation to host the free mosaic workshop last summer. During the workshop, 14 students created the stepping stones, with each one representing a different plant or bird from the Black Belt. Designed by Linda Campbell, the stones reflect many of the plants in the Black Belt Garden.

“We hoped to teach local children how to work with glass, while creating art that will be on permanent display in the garden,” Muñoz said. “I think it was a very successful project, and the children were all great.”

"The stepping stones represent a wonderful beginning for the Black Belt Garden at UWA,” said Dr. Tina Jones, director of the Center for the Study of the Black Belt. “The stones showcase the native beauty and artistic spirit that we hope to cultivate even more as the Garden and the Center grow. We also hope to have many other activities like the stepping stone workshop, which will encourage the community to get involved with projects such as the Black Belt Garden."

This summer, students from the UWA and the University of Alabama honors programs will learn more about the Black Belt through lectures, tours and hands-on projects in Sumter County schools. During the two-week Black Belt Action program, the students will also work on a mosaic tile table and birdbath to complement the stepping stones for the Black Belt Garden. These will be dedicated in memory of stepping stone designer Linda Campbell, who passed away from cancer in November.

The Black Belt Garden is just one program sponsored by the Center for the Study of the Black Belt. Founded in 2005, the Center encourages scholars and citizens of the region alike to think about the Black Belt and to rethink the ideas they have already formed about this region. Other projects include the annual Sucarnochee Folklife Festival, the Sucarnochee Revue radio show and the Black Belt Museum.

For more information about the Black Belt Garden or any of the other Center for the Study of the Black Belt projects, please contact Dr. Tina Jones at 205-652-3752.