The unveiling ceremony for the “Blind Willie” McTell statue, which will be placed outside the Statesboro Convention Visitors Bureau, will be held Friday morning.

Marc Moulton, Georgia Southern University art department graduate program director, was selected to construct the sculpture.

“He’s a very impressive sculptor, and he was great to work with,” Bob Mikell, chairman of the Blue Mile Statesboro Stars, said. “But also, the whole Blue Mile Project is an effort by the community and Georgia Southern to create closer ties, physically and symbolically, so to have him be the sculptor of someone who’s important to the community, Blind Willie was a great fit.”

A previous article by The George-Anne went into some detail about Blind Willie’s life. He was born in 1903 and was blind from infancy. McTell went on to become a blues legend, being inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1989.

“We wanted someone who really celebrated the culture of Statesboro,” Mikell said.

The unveiling ceremony is scheduled for Friday, August 31, from 8:30-9:30 a.m and will feature representatives from the Blue Mile Committee and Chamber of Commerce.

Rachel Adams, The George-Anne News Reporter, ganews@georgiasouthern.edu