“Art is everything. Art offers us a window into ourselves, into our heritage, our culture, our feelings, our expression. I can’t imagine a world without art. The beauty is you don’t have to be a trained artist. Art helps everyday people, and myself included, to see the world differently. An experience like the one here in Harpersville encourages you to come out of your comfort zone. What if you could get out of your routine and experience this beautiful state?” – Tony M. Bingham of Hoover

Bingham is an artist and studio instructor at Miles College.

Tony M. Bingham sees beauty in art and collaboration. (Tamika Moore / People of Alabama)

He’s the artist behind the open-air “Praise House” sculpture at the Wallace House, a former plantation, in Harpersville. He said 2022 taught him about the power of people working together to fulfill a dream.

“The Praise House project was a collaborative effort with which I’m very happy to have participated in because it allowed the families of the enslaved and the families of the enslavers to have a place to consider the history of where we are now.”

These are the faces and stories of people from all walks of life who call Alabama home. People of Alabama is a Red Clay Media and Alabama NewsCenter partnership.