Project Overview
Cooper-Young Trestle | Cooper-Young
Cooper-Young is an eclectic neighborhood and historic district in the Midtown section of Memphis, named for the intersection of South Cooper Street and Young Avenue. The entrance to the neighborhood is marked by the Cooper-Young Trestle, a 150-foot (46 m) long steel sculpture that depicts homes and businesses found in the neighborhood. Created by metal artist Jill Turman, the sculpture was dedicated in 2000 and has become a source of community pride and identity.
The Cooper-Young Trestle received a Year in Review award from the Americans for the Arts Public Art Network in 2001. In 2012, the increasingly popular Cooper-Young neighborhood received a Great Places in America award from the American Planning Association due to the neighborhood's sense of place and great public realm, which includes public art.
About the Artist
Jill Turman
“I make my living designing and building custom ironwork. My profession is creative, challenging, and lots of fun.”
Jill Turman has completed several works of public art during her career as a professional artist. Turman opened her first metalworking studio in Memphis, Tennessee in 1997. During her time in Memphis, Jill completed the Cooper-Young Trestle as well as several sculptural bicycle racks throughout the City of Memphis. In 2006, Turman returned to her home state of California to establish a new studio called Bella Ironworks. Jill Turman is currently living and working in Alameda, CA.
