Smithfield — Farmers, soldiers and faith are just a few of the images that make up a public art display honoring the town’s African-American heritage.

Artist Erik Beerbower unveiled the town’s first piece of public art two months ago. The sculpture, which spans almost 20 feet, sits along the Smithfield Town Commons overlooking the Neuse River. The sculpture shows the profiles of a man and woman looking inward to praying hands and the façade of the old Johnston County Training School. A plowman to represent hardworking farmers and a soldier playing the bugle are within the man and woman’s line of sight.

“Rise Above” represents the African-American accomplishments that have helped build the town over its many years, the artist said. “I like ‘Rise Above’ because it leaves you with a positive connotation,” Beerbower said. “I didn’t want to concentrate on people’s struggles. It’s easy to do that. I wanted to focus on the attributes that moved them forward.”

Beerbower wanted to make sure the community had input on the sculptures. He sent 173 surveys to community leaders and held a public forum to learn more about their ideas on the leadership of African-Americans. From his research, Beerbower discovered that military service, churches, schools and farming were topics he needed to include.

“Ultimately, any time you collaborate, you get a better design because you have more minds in on it,” he said. “It is a give and take. You get ideas and input, but then also other suggestions you can’t use because it is impossible to [include] everybody’s input. That is why the silhouettes are a big part for me. They represent the people we couldn’t list.”

The art was a project of the town’s Appearance Commission and the Johnston County Arts Council. Funding came from the N.C. Arts Council, Josephine B. George Beautification Fund and memorials to the late Elizabeth Morgan, mother of Joe Morgan, who was a member of the Appearance Commission.

“We felt that the emphasis should be on people, educated and uneducated, tenants and landowners, leaders and laborers,” said Appearance Commission member Carolyn Ennis.

Most public art costs $50,000-$60,000, but Beerbower had only $10,000 to work with for the Smithfield project.

“I like the fact that Smithfield is starting to think about things like this, because art is a visual perception of the town’s vitality,” he said. “You know a town is being progressive or trying to be progressive when you see a lot of public art because [the town] realizes art attracts creative people.”