An eight-foot bronze Johnny Cash now stands bolted to a pedestal at Argenta Plaza in North Little Rock, the centerpiece of a pavilion meant to honor the state's deepest musical roots. But look closely at the base and you'll spot an error: it lists Cash's birth year as 1935 instead of 1932. Workers assembled the pavilion's elaborate steel structure through summer temperatures that hovered around 100 degrees, and with a grand-opening ceremony approaching, organizers expect the mistake likely won't be fixed in time.
The statue itself carries real weight beyond its size. As reported by Talk Business & Politics, it is an exact replica of the Cash statue that represents Arkansas in the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall, unveiled there in September 2024. Sculptor Kevin Kresse positioned the piece to serve as the pavilion's west-side anchor, facing Main Street, giving Cash — who grew up in Dyess, Arkansas — a prominent, permanent perch in the city where the project has taken shape. Kresse told the outlet the birth-year error will be corrected but called it minor compared with the overall project, and said the setting is special to him because it's outdoors in his hometown, giving him one of his favorite views of Cash.
A Who's Who of Arkansas Music History
The atg Pavilion will ultimately house 21 bronze sculptures honoring 20 musicians plus music industry executive Al Bell, according to North Little Rock Tourism. The honorees span rock, blues, gospel, country, soul and classical genres and include Cash, Glen Campbell, Al Green, Levon Helm, Louis Jordan, Florence Price, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Al Bell, Big Bill Broonzy, Albert King, Jimmy Driftwood, Lefty Frizzell, Ronnie Hawkins, Scott Joplin, Charlie Rich, Granny Almeda Riddle and Pharoah Sanders, per Talk Business & Politics. The lineup draws from across the state: Tharpe was born in Cotton Plant, Green hails from Forrest City, Campbell was born in Billstown near Delight, and Helm was from Marvell, the tourism agency notes.
Kresse has already created bronze busts of Campbell, Green, Helm, Jordan, Price and Tharpe, and Helm's bust has already been cast in bronze, according to Talk Business & Politics. Sculptures of Big Bill Broonzy and Albert King are currently at the foundry for mold-making and casting, while Kresse is about halfway through sculpting a bust of Howlin' Wolf. Florence Price will not receive a second bust during this first round, the outlet reports.
From a Barn Idea to a Temple of Bronze
Kresse initially envisioned a barn-like pavilion meant to reflect the musicians' humble beginnings, but the design evolved into something closer to a church or temple, with sculptures elevated above ground level, Talk Business & Politics reports. That shift echoes how the Argenta Arts District describes the finished structure — an outdoor public art installation inspired by architect E. Fay Jones's Thorncrown Chapel. Bronze busts throughout the pavilion are etched with each musician's name, birth and death years, and an outline of Arkansas with a star marking their hometown, and organizers are installing plaques to help visitors identify each honoree.
Kresse traces the project's roots back to 2018, when he unveiled a Levon Helm bust in Marvell, an effort he developed further with Greg Spradlin and Stephen Koch, according to Talk Business & Politics. That early Marvell bust grew out of work with Helm's family, who wanted a memorial bust in his hometown, according to AY Magazine. North Little Rock Tourism formally announced construction of the pavilion on August 13, 2025, and the roughly $3 million project broke ground on May 11, per Talk Business & Politics.
Hometown Honors Still to Come
The project reaches well beyond Argenta Plaza. Organizers plan duplicate bronze busts for each musician's hometown or a closely associated community, with duplicate castings already made for the initial batch of busts, Talk Business & Politics reports. Communities expected to receive sculptures include Brinkley, Pine Bluff, Forrest City, Helena, El Dorado, Mountain View and Texarkana, and Pine Bluff and Brinkley are anticipated to get the first hometown pieces, potentially as soon as spring 2027. Kresse may install subsequent busts in pairs as they're completed, according to the outlet.
North Little Rock Tourism funded the pavilion's construction, while private donations are covering the cost of the sculptures themselves, Talk Business & Politics reports. North Little Rock Tourism separately states that it and atg are together providing $1 million toward the pavilion, with a capital campaign aiming to raise $2 million more for design, construction and populating the bronze sculptures. The project was developed through a partnership involving North Little Rock Tourism, the Argenta Arts Foundation, Kresse and private supporters, according to Talk Business & Politics — a collaboration AY Magazine describes as a true public-private partnership between the tourism agency and the arts foundation.
Why It's Called 'atg'
The pavilion's name comes from Applied Technology Group, owned by Scott and Ruth Landers, Talk Business & Politics reports. AY Magazine offers a slightly different rendering, describing atg as standing for Advanced Technology Group, whose founder became a major financial backer and supplied a design team for the project. John Gaudin, the project's campaign chair, said fundraising continues for the pavilion, the hometown installations and a planned Arkansas music trail.
Gaudin told Talk Business & Politics that economic and tourism development motivated his involvement, and that the pavilion will be a major addition to his neighborhood and a gem in the arts district. That tourism framing lines up with how North Little Rock Tourism itself describes the project's purpose: serving not just as a cultural landmark but as a catalyst for arts-driven economic development by drawing regional, national and international visitors to Arkansas.
What's Next for the Venue
Beyond the sculptures, organizers envision the pavilion hosting expanded educational programming, potentially including children's programs and an Arkansas music museum, according to Talk Business & Politics. AY Magazine describes similar ambitions, noting plans for the space to double as a covered venue for smaller events, a living classroom and a gallery for Kresse's bronze busts.
A grand-opening ceremony is set for Friday from 3 to 7 p.m., according to Talk Business & Politics, which reports the event will also mark the reopening of the Argenta Music Complex. North Little Rock Tourism has said the celebration will include live music, food trucks, family-friendly activities and interactive exhibits. Kresse is planning busts of 19 additional musicians alongside Al Bell, with that fuller slate of sculptures scheduled for completion in 2029, according to Hibblen Radio.
