The big, blue guitars at the crossroads of Highway 61 and 49 are recognized all over the world and a must-have photo if you come to Clarksdale.
And the iconic crossroads sign creator, Vic Barbieri, was recognized last week for designing and creating the Clarksdale landmark.
“I tell people all over the world, South America has the Amazon, we have the Mississippi River,” said Bubba O’Keefe, director of Visit Clarksdale. “I tell them China has the Great Wall and we have the Levee. And I tell them France has the Eiffel Tower and we have the sign at the crossroads.”
A large crowd gathered to honor Barbieri and thank him for his sculpture.
“Vic can fix anything and this sign is all his,” said Coahoma County Supervisors Paul Pearson. “He designed it, purchased the materials, got the pieces together, painted it and then helped put it up. Then he gave it to us,”
Pearson said the community needs more people like Barbieri, who spot a need, figure out a solution and then make it happen.
Clarksdale Ward 1 Commissioner Bo Plunk said Barbieri got the idea, approached then Mayor Bill Luckett with the idea and went to Jimmy Walker for the funding and materials.
“A lot of people talk about what they are going to do,” said Plunk. “Vic did it – now he had help – but everybody knows him and knew he would finish what he started and it would be done right.”
Barbieri, 91, was born and raised in Clarksdale.
He served as a member of the United States Army from 1952 to 1955. For 22 years he was a partner in the local business, Electronics Service Center, which was engaged in television and radio sales and service. Later, he returned to school and received his certification to teach metal trades at the Carl Keen Vocational Technical Center, a part of the Clarksdale Municipal School District.
For many years, Barbieri served as a member of the Clarksdale Beautification Committee, which was chaired by the late Nell Smith. While serving on that committee in the late 1990s, Barbieri conceived the idea of the design for the now iconic image of the three guitars at the crossroads.
The sculpture is made out of 1/8-inch steel and weighs in excess of 1,000 pounds and was made to last.
The sculpture atop the large steel pole was installed in 2000. Since that time, the three guitars at the Crossroads have come to symbolize and celebrate the musical heritage and future of Clarksdale and the broader Delta Community.
Its image is used in the logo of Visit Clarksdale, the tourism agency of the city and county.
Since its installation, thousands of tourists have flocked to the Crossroads to have their picture taken in proximity to Barbieri’s sculpture.
