She’s 42 feet of power, poise, and gold-leafed grandeur, and she calls Nashville home. Meet our very own Athena Parthenos. Standing tall in the city’s full-scale Parthenon, she’s more than a sculpture; she’s a symbol of civic imagination, artistic ambition, and timeless mythology. As she celebrates her 35th birthday, we caught up with the visionaries who brought her to life and those who continue to champion her story.
Alan LeQuire was a young sculptor with a monumental task. When he received the commission to sculpt Athena in 1982, he was just 25. “The commission to build Athena was a competition announced in the newspaper in 1981 by Metro Parks,” he recalls. “My mother cut the notice out and mailed it to me in Greensboro, NC, where I was in graduate school. I was only 25 years old, but I knew it was a unique opportunity to create something so massive and historically important. I didn’t feel I had all the necessary skills, but I was determined to learn whatever I needed to know.”
Creating Athena was no small feat — it took eight years of meticulous work, much of it grounded in historical accuracy. “The most difficult part was holding back my personal expression and limiting my style to what Pheidias would have done, and what he would have been able to do given the materials he had in 440 B.C.,” Alan tells us. “I promised in my proposal to make the most archaeologically correct recreation possible given the existing evidence, and I had to honor that promise.”
And honor that promise, he did.
But before Alan LeQuire could lift a chisel, Nashville had to believe in the dream. Anne Roos, who helped spearhead fundraising for Athena, remembers the early doubts. “About $27,000 had been collected in small change from donations by visitors to the Parthenon over the years before an entrance fee became necessary and the donation box was removed,” she says. “We were reminded at a parks board meeting that it would not be feasible to build an Athena for anywhere near that amount, and perhaps the money might be better used to improve the lighting in the downstairs art gallery.”
They didn’t give up, and Athena prevailed.
Anne worked with Metro Parks, the arts community, and eventually launched the Athena Fund Foundation. “We got the gilding done thanks to the resourcefulness of Alan’s friends and the continued support of the Conservancy,” she shares. The project grew beyond a statue; it became the seed for the Centennial Park Conservancy.
Thankfully, the city was behind it. “I think it’s fair to say there was a great deal of community enthusiasm,” Anne says. “We knew we were doing what the builders of the Nashville Parthenon did — recreating an ancient marvel as a historic and educational nod to the classical world.” And now, she’s celebrating a monumental birthday. Pun intended.
Decades later, Alan returns to the Parthenon with Monumental Figures, a new exhibition that both contrasts and converses with Athena. “Stylistically, they are very different from Athena, although the materials are the same,” he explains. “In general, the style is looser, more direct, less refined.” Though the newer additions share a space with the giant goddess, Alan says, “I hope they will feel different and have a more intimate response from viewers.”
His new series, Monumental Figures, features 24 towering sculptures of powerful women from history — think musicians, athletes, Civil Rights icons — and made its world premiere on June 13. Over in the East Gallery, Goddess in Progress offers a behind-the-scenes look at the eight-year journey to bring Athena to life.
Jennifer Richardson, the Parthenon’s curator, sees Athena’s anniversary as a moment to reflect and renew. “Alan created Athena Parthenos at the beginning of his career and was confined by what is known of the historical sculpture,” she says. “Now, after a robust career of commissions, he finally has the opportunity to create art that he wants. It is a rare chance for our visitors to see our city’s famous artist in a completely new way.”
Jennifer’s curation includes Alan’s new book, Goddess in Progress, an exhibition of behind-the-scenes photos, and massive new sculptures. And what else can visitors expect when they step into the gallery this June? “Greeting you on the plaza will be a golden portrait of voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer reaching 14 feet tall,” Jennifer tells us. “In our main gallery, Goddess in Progress will have quotes from Alan LeQuire guiding you through his experience and creation process paired with behind-the-scenes photos that have rarely, if ever, been shown publicly.”
From her perch inside the Naos, Athena continues to command reverence and curiosity. Lauren Bufferd, Director of the Parthenon, sees more than myth in her golden gaze. “Despite the Parthenon being a replica of a Greek structure, to me, the Parthenon has always been a very American building,” she tells us. “It’s all about American aspiration and looking back to the classical world as a way to assert our progressiveness and our belief in democracy. Of course, we know Athens wasn’t a true democracy; only certain people could vote. But it doesn’t take away from that sense of wanting to be better.”
And the public’s reaction over the years has been unforgettable. “My favorite moment was when a little girl, maybe about six years old, broke away from her parents and came quite close to the statue, then dropped into a full — and very dramatic — curtsy,” says Lauren. “I like to think Athena liked that, too.”
It’s been 35 years since Athena Parthenos was unveiled to the public, but her impact continues to evolve. From Alan LeQuire’s sculpting success to awe-struck schoolchildren and curious art lovers, Nashville’s golden goddess has inspired generations. “She’s supposed to be overwhelming,” Lauren says, “and she is.”
So, if Athena were doing this interview, what three adjectives would she use to describe herself? “Majestic, powerful, and bossy,” Lauren answers without hesitation.
Happy birthday, Athena. Here’s to many more years of poise, power, and a little healthy bossiness.
**********
Keep up with the best parts of life in the South. Subscribe to StyleBlueprint!
