The Public Arts Commission (PAC) officially unveiled Madison’s newest public art display on Thursday, Feb. 13, in Town Park.
“All These Mixed Emotions,” by Rial Rye, was sculpted with cedar, epoxy resin, and flowers. The art is funded through the PAC’s leased art program and will be featured in Town Park until November 2026.
Rye is a resident artist at the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center. He is inspired by historical recordkeeping in relation to European colonial efforts in North America and the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
In his description of “All These Mixed Emotions,” Rye said, “As a multiracial person of both African and Indigenous American descent, pieces of my family story and genealogy have been rendered permanently unknowable to me because my ancestors were rarely deemed worthy of inclusion in historical records.
‘All These Mixed Emotions’ is a planar sculpture that depicts a human figure weeping. The figure is intentionally designed to be ambiguous in its racial and gender characteristics. This allows this figure to stand in for, and memorialize, any number of my ancestors who will never be known to me or anyone.”
“PAC works hard to display art that speaks to a diverse range of residents and visitors. We are so happy to be working with experienced artists like Rial Rye,” commissioner leaders said.
Visit rialrye.com to purchase or explore more of Rye’s work. If you would like to see “All These Mixed Emotions” remain in Madison, you can donate funds to the city to purchase the sculpture.
Contact the Planning & Development Department office at 706-752-7940 for more information.