A new set of five pillars now marks the entrance to Jesse Turner Park at South Parkway and Bellevue Boulevard, giving the South Memphis green space a far more prominent gateway than it had before. City of Memphis officials and nearby residents gathered for a ribbon cutting at the park last Wednesday to celebrate the installation, which honors Jesse Turner's legacy while celebrating the history and culture of the surrounding community.
The project, reported by The Daily Memphian, carried a total budget of $98,925, according to the UrbanArt Commission, which commissioned artist Maxwell Emcays alongside the City of Memphis to create the sculpture. That figure includes three finalist honoraria of $1,000 each, per the commission's project page. The five pillars represent leadership, faith, culture, place and sports, themes selected to reflect the character of the surrounding South Memphis neighborhood.
As reported by the Memphis Flyer, the $98,925 project displays five pillars that encapsulate South Memphis culture and pride. The sculpture celebrates the South Memphis community and Black culture, depicting a choir, civil-rights protests and athletes, the Flyer notes. Those images tie directly back to the man the park is named for.
Honoring a Civil Rights Pioneer
Jesse Turner Park, located at 1310 S. Bellevue Boulevard, sits in City Council District 4, per the UrbanArt Commission's project listing. The park bears the name of Jesse H. Turner, who was the first Black chairman of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners, a former president of Tri-State Bank, and a longtime NAACP supporter, according to the commission's call to artists.
The selection committee behind the project wanted a large-scale sculpture that would emphasize the entrance to the park and baseball field for both pedestrians and vehicular traffic, the same call to artists states. Committee members also sought a design that celebrated South Memphis neighborhood leaders and drew on neighborhood architecture or nearby landmarks. The commission released its request for qualifications on July 6, 2023, with an application deadline the following month, setting in motion the selection process that ultimately landed on Emcays.
A Well-Used South Memphis Green Space
The park itself spans 18.29 acres and already includes a playground, a half-mile paved walking trail, a lighted ballfield, an outdoor basketball court and a rental pavilion, according to Memphis Parks. It's also home to the Bellevue Tennis Center, which is managed by Tennis Memphis and offers two indoor courts and four outdoor courts alongside the rest of the park's amenities.
Beyond the new entrance sculpture, the city administration has also floated a $3.1 million capital-improvement allocation for Jesse Turner Park in the coming fiscal year, according to a report from citizenportal.ai covering a city council briefing. That proposed funding was linked to future outdoor amenities and broader master planning at the park, the same report states, though no details on approval or timeline were part of that briefing. For now, the five pillars at South Parkway and Bellevue stand as the most visible sign of investment in a park that has long served South Memphis families, athletes and tennis players alike.
