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Since 1989, folk artist Joe Minter has filled his yard with homemade sculptures, shrines, and signs as a tribute to African-Americans, on orders from God. Visitors are welcome.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
- Address:
- 931 Nassau Ave. SW., Birmingham, AL
- Directions:
- On the southwest edge of the city. I-65 exit 258. Drive west on Route 18 for one mile, then turn left onto Martin Luther King Jr Drive. Drive south and take the third right onto Nassau Ave. Joe Minter's place is the last house on the left.
- Hours:
- Daylight hours. Open gate policy; tours available if Joe is at home. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 205-322-7370
- Admission:
- Free, but you can buy an African Village book and/or DVD from Joe.
- RA Rates:
- Major Fun
Bruce Larsen has unveiled his latest junk-art creation, "Mr. Baseball," at the Sports Sculpture Park of the United States Sports Academy. The seven-foot-tall, 500 pound slugger is made from Larsen's familiar material -- hubcaps, tractor gears, hydraulic cylinders, old heating pipes -- and joins several other junk sculptures that he's built for the park, such as a sprinter, weightlifter, gymnast, and basketball player.
It was originally hoped that Larsen's first sculpture in the the park, the football-themed Iron Bowl Monument, would be accompanied by a full team of gridiron players, but Larsen is evidently tackling different subjects.
[RoadsideAmerica.com Team, 04/22/2012]Athletes Made of Junk:RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report
- Address:
- 1 Academy Drive, Daphne, AL
- Directions:
- Next to a parking lot at the United States Sports Academy. I-10 exits 35 or 35A. Drive south on US 98/Old Spanish Trail for one mile, then turn left at the green U.S. Sports Academy sign onto Academy Drive. Turn right into the parking lot, then bear left; the statues will be at the edge of the lot, under the trees.
- Phone:
- 251-626-3303
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
Folk artist Mike Goggans has a shiny silver robot named Lirpa Anad Nitsud out by the road. More sculptures are hidden behind a fence, including the towering Junkosaurus.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
- Address:
- DeSoto Pkwy, Fort Payne, AL
- Directions:
- From downtown Fort Payne (US Hwy 11) turn east at the stoplight onto Hwy 35/5th Ave. SE. Follow it up the mountain for 2.5 miles. At the blinker light, turn left (north) onto Hwy 89/DeSoto Pkwy. Drive 2.5 miles. You'll come to a blinker light with a Shell station on the right. You'll see the shiny robot on the left. Junkosaurus is behind it, hidden behind a tree.
- Hours:
- By appt. to be let into the gated yard. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 256-845-9162
- Admission:
- Free
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
A very interesting collection of metal. Breastplates are Ford and DeSoto hubcaps, very good assortment of automotive parts and household appliances. Sign says; My name is "Zirpa Anad Nitsurd". Created by Mike Goggens, 1999.
[Tony Lowros, 11/23/2000]- Talladega, Alabama - Hubcap King
Talladega, AL is the home of the "Hubcap King". (The picture of him on his business cards is quite amusing...) At last count, he had something like 4 1/2 million. He recently married his tenth wife, and she will likely be crowned the new Hubcap Queen before the end of the year. (A somewhat amusing aside: the TV station that I work for did a feature story on the Hubcap King, and used our helicopter to get some aerials... the King got excited, ran out to wave to the helicopter, and promptly had a mild heart attack. Fortunately, he's okay.)
[Uncle Flip, 10/18/1998]Hubcap King:- Hours:
- Gone
- Status:
- Gone
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Seems like every state has a Hubcap King. Perhaps they could all make suits of armor out of the best of their collections, meet on the Field of Battle and settle claims of sovereignty once and for all...