Public artist James “Shinar” Coleman of Kildare is in his music attire and is performing for the Pleasant Hill Rosenwald School at its Juneteenth celebration last week. Coleman is the artist who created the paintings for the “The Last Railway Statio
The entry way to the “Last Railway Station” property display belonging to Sharon Haynes on 3077 FM 1399 just north of the Pleasant Hill church and school.The paintings by artist James Coleman are on the sides of large truck trailers and buildings.
Being first on the Juneteenth tour last week is this group of neighbors. They are members of the Fallwell, Monroe and Small families and have come to see more closely the“Last Railway Station” public art display. The tour guide is Sharon Haynes, the p
Art works by James “Shinar” Coleman on the sides and ends of two large trailers help tell the story of Pleasant Hill Rosenwald School’s popular program,“The Secret Code Quilts of the Underground Railroad.”
The location of the Last Railway Station art project at Pleasant Hill near Linden is designated by this sign leading to the property owned by Sharon Haynes. The colorful displays in the distance are intended to be a tour destination for Pleasant Hill and
One of the strongest panels in the Haynes’ yard is the one saying,“Hiding in Plain Sight.”It refers to the quilts with their secret codes which might be in the windows of these homes.
These ten quilt panel symbols would have been secret codes and messages for escaping slaves. They are detailed on this display by public artist James “Shinar” Coleman.
Last Railway Station murals
Pleasant Hill Quilters commemorated Juneteenth last week with a presentation of local history and the inaugural tour of one member’s property and its murals.
Pleasant Hill, the community, is recognized as one of the state’s oldest African-American communities and is one which also has one of the state’s oldest Baptist Churches.
It is a community which has also developed a reputation for presenting a public drama called, “The Secret Code Quilts of the Underground Railroad.” This is also a book telling the story of how escaping slaves were assisted by understanding quilt patterns which might be placed “hidden in plain view.”
To this distinction is now added the recently completed “Last Railway Station…” series of murals painted on buildings and trailers located on the Sharon Haynes’ property a short distance from the school at 3077 FM 1399.
Haynes is a member of the quilters and was also a member of the last Rosenwald School class before the school closed in 1964.
“I wanted to return to my home community where I grew up and do something in return to tell the story of this exceptional place,” Haynes said of her mural work. “I enlisted the talents of public artist James “Shinar” Coleman to paint the story on these large backdrops. I’m happy to put my name and contact information to be a tour guide to anyone who might want to visit our commu- nity.”
On Juneteenth of last week, the quilters game a presentation of this drama and followed with a tour of the murals. The artist Coleman was also present to present an afternoon of music at the school in full regalia and titled “The Enchanting Sounds of Shinar.”