In 2019, then-Governor Asa Hutchinson commissioned new work to represent the State of Arkansas at the U.S Capitol; Kevin was selected. Last fall, the statue created by Kevin Kresse of the legendary Johnny Cash statue was unveiled in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C. Arkansan Johnny Cash joins fellow Arkansans and civil rights leader Daisy Bates on Capitol Hill.
Like Johnny Cash, Kevin’s roots are deep in the heart of Arkansas. Kevin remembers a childhood filled with art and music. “My heroes were Da Vinci and Michelangelo.” With no formal training, he enrolled in an art class at UA Little Rock “I always loved music just as much as art, but quickly learned I had no real talent in music. I shifted from majoring in confusion, to majoring in art. The first couple of years I focused on drawing and painting fundamentals.”
Just recently, the 1979 Catholic High School for Boys alumnus presented Msgr. Lawrence Frederick with a bust of his likeness; it marks the 70th anniversary of Msgr. Frederick’s graduation from Catholic High. “Father Fred’s face is the face of what dedication, hard work, faith, love and service looks like.”
Kevin shares insight and reflects on his journey as an artist.
BEGINNING INTEREST
He was introduced to sculpting at UA Little Rock but pursued a career in the advertising industry. Kevin reconnected with the art form while teaching at the Arkansas Arts Center, now the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. “That’s really what got me back on the path. Even in my sculpture today, I still use concepts from the classes at UA Little Rock – especially a sense of strong, effective design and composition.”
INTRODUCTION TO JOHNNY CASH
Kevin crafted the likeness of Johnny Cash in 2018 as part of a series of Arkansas musicians. “My love and interest in music led me to create the busts.” These include Glen Campbell, Al Green, Levon Helm and Sister Rosetta Tharpe as well as a young Johnny Cash. Soon after, he received the commission for the new work at the U.S. Capitol. “I was working on Louis Jordan when the Daisy Bates / Johnny Cash project came up. I shifted all my attention to that.” During this process, he discovered a benevolent humanitarian. “It’s one of the nice things about being from Arkansas. People told me their personal Johnny Cash stories; they are stories of kindness and generosity. These would never make headlines, but showed his love for, and connection to, the everyday person.”
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS
He worked closely with the Cash family and met Johnny’s sister Joanne first. “I showed her the bust of young Johnny. She was sweet, spunky and honest. At the unveiling, I didn’t realize Joanne is mostly blind.” She couldn’t see the sculpture but was able to feel and connect with it. Singer-Songwriter and oldest daughter Roseanne Cash experienced the Johnny Cash bust for the first time in 2022. “It was one of the highlights of this journey. She was emotional and that lets you know you are on the right track.”
SONG THAT CAME TO MIND
Kevin remembers countless hours in solitude creating the sculpture, listing to Johnny Cash music. “Observing all the pomp and circumstance at the unveiling, a sibling song to Man in Black came to mind – What is Truth. Considering its placement in the U.S. Capitol, those lyrics fit the feel of the sculpture itself very well.”
LASTING IMPRESSION
“I wanted the sculpture to get across Johnny’s humility, dignity, humanity and intelligence. The lyrics inscribed on the pedestal from the Man in Black and his quote – ‘All your life you will be faced with a choice. You can choose love or hate. I choose love.’ – really complete the sculpture itself. I feel it gives an insight into who this person was. Which in turn, gives an insight into the values the people in Arkansas hold themselves.”
