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Asheville Art Museum

Asheville Art Museum

North Carolina museum exhibiting 20th century American art

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Home > Blog > John Henry (Series 3) by Kelly Phelps and Kyle Phelps
Kelly Phelps and Kyle Phelps, John Henry (Series 3), 2014, mixed-media ceramic, 36 3/4 × 15 5/8 × 7 inches. 2014 Collectors’ Circle purchase, 2014.29.06.29. © Kelly Phelps and Kyle Phelps, image David Dietrich.

Work of the Week

John Henry (Series 3) by Kelly Phelps and Kyle Phelps

March 2, 2021

Marie Cochran on Kelly Phelps and Kyle Phelps’s John Henry (Series 3) and Affrilachian Art

—Marie Cochran, artist and director, Affrilachian Artist Project

This project has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Major funding for the Asheville Art Museum’s Collection project provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

Artists’ Take

John Henry was an American folk legend who was also known as the “steel-driving man.” He was a kind of underdog who tried to save railroad laborers’ jobs by competing against the modern technology of the time, which was a steam-powered hammer. He and his human-powered hammer beat the steam drill, but he died soon after. There were very few career opportunities outside of farm-laborer jobs for African Americans. At the time, if you were African American and needed a job, the railroad or the military was the most viable career. This is where we made the connection to John Henry. Not only did he represent our race, he represented the struggle of the working class.

—Kelly Phelps and Kyle Phelps

To read more from the Artists, click here to view their Artist Spotlight.

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Museum Hours:

Open daily 11am–6pm. Late-night Thursdays until 9pm; closed Tuesdays. Pre-purchased online tickets are encouraged; walk-in tickets are also available.
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Museum Location:

2 South Pack Square
Asheville, NC 28801
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Museum Contact

828.253.3227
mailbox@ashevilleart.org
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