The new eagle structure ‘Virginia’, is the 10th sculpture from the Eagle Nation on Parade art project that reflects and celebrates the community of Georgia Southern.

According to a Georgia Southern press release, the sculpture is a 6′ x 5′ x 4” fiberglass structure designed by GS sculpture professor Marc Moulton and former student Daniel Todd. ‘Virginia’ was also painted by Jeff Garland, the interim co-dean of the College of Education at Georgia Southern. 

This sculpture was named after Virginia Sabb Jackson, a worker at the Eagle Dining Services at the former Landrum dining hall. She also was very connected with her community so it only made sense to honor her work with a well-made statue. 

The sculpture also honors the managing partner of the New Texas Roadhouse Maurice Jackson, the son of Virginia Sabb Jackson. 

“When we were actually constructing the building itself, my mom was very instrumental in me and pushing me to be a restaurant entrepreneur”, said Maurice Jackson, “So one day I came in, and I was having to look through the front door, and the sun was rising through the front door, and the sun was rising on it because the sun rises on the east and sets on the west. And I saw the sunset and it reminded me of my mom.”

During the creation of the statue, Jackson wanted a more genuine look for the statue. So Garland researched what to do. 

“I saw the environment where this sculpture would sit, and I noticed the colors of the rocks and bricks around the restaurant, and that led me to think about the types of rocks you’d find in Texas,” Garland said in a Georgia Southern University press release. “The colors on the rock at the foot of the sculpture are a direct reflection of the environment where the eagle would live in Texas, so I was really concentrating on that aspect when I was painting it.”