A new Eagle sculpture called “Virginia” has joined the Eagle Nation on Parade flock after landing at the new Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Statesboro, Georgia.
The sculpture is named after the late Virginia Sabb Jackson, who worked in Eagle Dining Services at the former Landrum dining hall for many years. The placement of the 6′ x 5′ x 4’ fiberglass sculpture at Texas Roadhouse honors the restaurant’s managing partner and local owner Maurice Jackson, Virginia Jackson’s son.
“It feels like I’m at mom’s house instead of my house because she’s here every day watching over me,” Jackson said.
“Virginia” became the 10th Eagle sculpture to be a part of the Eagle Nation on Parade Public Art Project and was painted by Jeff Garland, MFA, interim co-dean of the College of Education at Georgia Southern and former chair of the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art.
Jackson shared he wanted a natural look for the sculpture, which inspired Garland to research the types of environments in Texas where bald eagles typically nest.
“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. “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.”
Jackson loved how the sculpture turned out.
“It’s awesome, and at nighttime, it is wonderful because the building is illuminated,” Jackson said. “Then the special thing about it is if you stand in front of the Eagle, the flag actually flies between the wings.”
The Eagle Nation on Parade Public Art Project salutes the University’s traditions, celebrates the unity of campus and community, contributes to the economic vitality and quality of life in Statesboro and supports student scholarships and research.
“I think the most important thing about the Eagle Nation on Parade is the connection to community and the opportunity for students to have that connection to community,” Garland said. “Betty Foy Sanders was connected to her community and it was what she cared most about. That’s why she created scholarships, and that’s why Eagle Nation on Parade is directly tied to student scholarships.”
