Nash has also been commissioned by prominent New Orleans businessman, John Cummings, to create 35 to 40 life-size men, women and children slaves to be housed in the forthcoming Whitney Plantation House. The circa 1800 plantation is being reincarnated as a museum and will serve as an historical tribute and memorial to the slaves who worked tirelessly to plant and harvest rice and sugar cane crops in the plantation’s fields more than 200 years ago.
Nash purchased a special kiln specifically for the pieces he is creating for the Whitney Plantation. To ensure authenticity in everything from stature to the clothing slaves will wear, Nash has gone through a long process of reviewing old books and pictures, sketching first drafts, creating original molds and casting sample pieces before getting the final okay from Cummings.
“We are both detail-oriented people and we want these pieces to be as genuine to true slave life as possible,” Nash said. “This project has been a challenge that I’ve looked forward to for a long time. My pieces will breathe life into the whole plantation.”
