This week the final touches will be added to the 1823 Monument site, situated north of Carifesta Avenue along the Georgetown Seawall. The undertaking comes just in time for the August 1 Emancipation Day Commemoration.As a representation of one of the many notable slave rebellions, the site is intended to depict three rebel enslaved Africans ready to fight for their freedom.Artist/Scupltor, Ivor ThomBut although the site is intended to reflect on a brutal time of history when many Africans were killed in their quest for freedom, the developed site sports a serene atmosphere which overlooks the Georgetown seawall. With a recreational setting,Cheap Jerseys Supply, it appears ideal for a family picnic or a nice location for some alone time,Cheap Jerseys Store, complete with seating and well manicured lawns.But the Monument Site’s main attraction is certainly the bronze sculptures that make the site emblematic for the African Guyanese and by extension, Guyana.According to reports a woman slave was a part of the 1823 struggle.Moreover, occupying the southern side of the grand base of the monument is the figure of a woman in attack mode merely armed with a machete.? There is no fear in her piercing eyes but rather a striking look of determination.On the opposite side is the fearless figure of a man holding a musket in one hand, as he appears to menacingly wave the other as if to demand his people’s freedom.But the Monument is not yet complete as there will yet be the mounting of a nine-foot tall African man on the base; a slave, no doubt, holding a machete and cross in either hand.The figures of the monument are in fact the handiwork of renowned artist/sculptor, Ivor Thom, whose unique sculptures include the Burnham Bust, The Mausoleum and the Damon Monument.Thom was granted the privilege to create the figures for the Monument Site after participating and winning an open art competition organised by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport for the design of the Site.And since he has an immense background in sculpting, Thom was also tasked with crafting his winning design.? “It is not a thing that artists normally do but I am just one of those that do all the hard work, which is fortunate in this case,” articulated Thom, as he explained how he fashioned each of the figures for the Site at the Burrowes School of Art,Cheap MLB Jerseys, a short distance away.The project, according to the 58-year-old, was kicked into full gear in January 2012 and most of it was completed by the end of July.And while his figures represent “no slave in particular,” Thom noted that it is aimed at highlighting that the rebellion was more about freedom from slavery and the religion that was imposed on slaves. However,NFL Jerseys China, he explained that while the slaves’ intentions were not to fight or kill anyone they were prepared for any eventualities. “They were just protesting; they were demanding freedom and the Governor was withholding that right from them,” underscored the sculptor extraordinaire.Ingrained talentAlthough he doesn’t think of himself as an extraordinary artist/sculptor, Thom recounted how from a very young age he was drawn to artistry.? He grew up at Victoria, East Coast Demerara, but when he was about 15, he joined the Guyana Youth Corp.He spent two years at Tumatumari, Region Eight, and then Port Kaituma, Region One,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, for a short while. He eventually enlisted in the National Service where he remained for about 17 years. It was while there he was granted a scholarship to study at the Burrowes School of Art.In fact,Cheap Jerseys From China, he was among the first batch of students graduating from the Art School and was one of the first graduates to complete a sculpting course.He continued his studies in Cuba before heading to Canada where he participated in a technology exchange programme where he demonstrated his green sand sculpting technique and learnt a ceramic shell technique.The two intriguing figures at the base of the MonumentThom later migrated to the United States where he started working at a number of art foundries for several years before returning home. According to the artist/sculptor who lives a relatively modest life, “I am from a very simple and humble background; nothing worth telling the world about.” However, that truly isn’t the case as he will go down in history as perhaps Guyana’s best sculptors.