Art In Depth

"Bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church" by Miriam McClung, 1963. Ink on board. 13" x 9". Personal collection.

Part 10: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – 16th Street Church Bombing

Brief history of Birmingham, Alabama through Miriam’s art… This year marked sixty years since the racially motivated bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama killed four black girls–Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Carol Denise McNair–and seriously injured a fifth, Sarah Collins Rudolph. Miriam was 28 at the time and

Part 10: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – 16th Street Church Bombing Read More »

"Arlington Historic Home in Birmingham, Alabama" by Miriam McClung. Pastel on paper. Commissioned by a private collector.

Part 9: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – Arlington Home

The first painting is of Arlington Historic Home and Garden, the only surviving and oldest antebellum mansion in Birmingham dating back to the pre-Civil War and pre-Birmingham 1840s. The Greek Revival style home was ordered built by Judge William Mudd and carried out by enslaved black American laborers and craftsmen. Arlington escaped the scorched earth

Part 9: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – Arlington Home Read More »

"Downtown Birmingham, Alabama in 1960" by Miriam McClung. Ink on paper. 8" x 10".

Part 8: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – Architecture

When you think of American cities with great downtown architecture, Birmingham, Alabama probably doesn’t come to mind. What might surprise you is that there are over 45 different house styles in Birmingham and one of the best selections of industrial age turn of the 20th-century architecture. Miriam drew and painted frequently the architecture of the

Part 8: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – Architecture Read More »

"Walking Around UAB" by Miriam McClung, 1990. Pastel on paper. 22" x 30".

Part 7: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – UAB

A partial history of Birmingham through Miriam’s art continued… Birmingham’s explosive growth until the mid-1950’s was fueled by the mining of iron and the production and export of steel. Along with the steel industry came powerful financiers, banking and lending institutions, and insurance companies, all of which Miriam’s grandfather and close family were a part

Part 7: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – UAB Read More »

"16th Street Baptist Church" by Miriam McClung. Pastel on paper. Private collector.

Part 6: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – Churches

A partial history of Birmingham through Miriam’s art series continued… Places of worship and their congregations have played a central role in Birmingham from its formation. As the city grew, so did the churches. Birmingham has over 10 churches that were established in the 1800s, and many of these places Miriam has painted over the

Part 6: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – Churches Read More »

"English Village Street Scene" by Miriam McClung, 2000. Pastel on paper. 19" x 25".

Part 5: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – Villages

A partial history of Birmingham, Alabama though Miriam’s art series continued… In the 1920s, some middle and upper-class families in Birmingham wanted to leave the polluted, crowded, and somewhat raucous city for a country life (or what would become known as “suburban”). Established Birmingham residents thought they were crazy, nevertheless, small villages like English Village,

Part 5: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – Villages Read More »