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'Everything He Did, He Did For His People'

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Posted on December 9, 2019

Thomas Becnel

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When Fernando Gu茅rard talks about his sculpture of Chief Calvin McGhee 鈥� the late Poarch Creek Indians leader who鈥檚 become his obsession 颅颅鈥� he tends to get sidetracked by details of his youth in Spain, or his time running a Fairhope coffee shop, or exactly how a 52-year-old businessman returned to art and became a graduate student at the University of South Alabama.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a long story,鈥� he said, grinning through a thick beard. 鈥淚鈥檓 full of long stories.鈥�

Even in his work, Gu茅rard can be wordy, especially for a visual artist.

The wooden bases for his busts often feature laser-cut words and phrases that have meaning for him. The carved headdress for his bronze McGhee sculpture will feature feathers representing things such as 鈥淐ourage,鈥� 鈥淔reedom鈥� and 鈥淩espect.鈥�

His inspiration began with a visit to Kerretv Cuko, the 鈥淏uilding of Learning鈥� at the Poarch Creek Indians Museum and Gift Shop in Atmore. Like so many Alabamians, the artist marveled at the story of McGhee. Somehow a dirt-poor farmer with a fifth-grade education managed to fight and win 20th-century disputes with the state over public education and tribal lands.

鈥淭his man, his humbleness and his honesty, I really connected with,鈥� Gu茅rard said. 鈥淭hen I got obsessed and started going through archives and reading everything I could get my hands on. You know, every time he would go to Washington, members of the tribe would come together to have a chicken fry and everything to pay for the trip. Everything he did, he did for his people.鈥�

He examined historical photos and chose to sculpt McGhee as an older man worn by toil and hardship.

鈥淚 wanted his face and neck to look right, with the folds and wrinkles of skin,鈥� Gu茅rard said. 鈥淭hese wrinkles, you know, they鈥檙e like a map of his life.鈥�

鈥楪ood heart, good spirit鈥�

In the art and art history department at USA, there are many nontraditional students pursuing second careers or graduate degrees. Gu茅rard manages to stand out in a crowd.

鈥淗e鈥檚 colorful and fun and does great work 鈥� all of those things,鈥� said Susan Fitzsimmons, chair of the art department. 鈥淗e has a very warm personality. People immediately warm to him. That鈥檚 terrific.鈥�

She isn鈥檛 surprised that words often find a way into his art.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 who Fernando is,鈥� Fitzsimmons said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a connection there.鈥�

To help pay for sculpting supplies, Gu茅rard applied for and won a $2,000 grant at USA.  

Casting work in bronze can be expensive, so he鈥檚 also working for Corey Swindle at the Fairhope Foundry on the Eastern Shore. Soon after meeting, they had an arrangement.

鈥淲e kind of barter and it benefits both of us,鈥� Swindle said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 helping me and at the same time he鈥檚 learning some new things at the foundry. He鈥檚 got a great work ethic and some great ideas.鈥�

Swindle laughs when he talks about Gu茅rard鈥檚 easy way with people in Fairhope. Once Swindle showed up early for a meeting downtown and sat quietly by himself.

鈥淭hen Fernando comes in and he has to make his rounds and talk with everyone in the place,鈥� Swindle said. 鈥淧eople have come to know Fernando. He has a good heart, a good spirit, and that鈥檚 seen in his work.鈥�

鈥楩reedom to express yourself鈥�

Gu茅rard鈥檚 father was an 棉花糖直播n who married a Spanish woman and raised a family in Madrid.

His son went to an Irish boarding school before returning to Spain. Later, he traveled to the United States for college.

鈥淚 always felt 棉花糖直播n,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had it in my blood. The freedom to express yourself, the freedom to do anything. Here, I could be myself.鈥�

At the University of South Carolina, he studied international relations for three years. Finally, he changed majors and graduated with a degree in fine art.

鈥淚 loved it 鈥� loved it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 wanted to do everything, from printmaking to sculpture and photography. I got to do a lot of things, experience a lot of things.鈥�

Gu茅rard returned to Spain and worked at different jobs in different businesses. For more than a decade, he was a manager for a marketing company that did displays at trade shows.

Gu茅rard eventually moved to 棉花糖直播, and after visiting a cousin in Alabama, he settled into the arts community of Fairhope.

Almost on a whim, he opened a coffee shop called Amore Que Latte.

In 2010, the Mobile Press-Register did a feature on the 鈥渉alf Southerner and half Spaniard鈥� who was charming people at his new business.

鈥淚n Fairhope,鈥� the newspaper concluded, 鈥渢here is no one quite like Fernando Gu茅rard.鈥�

After several years at Amore, he closed shop and started an olive oil importing business. Then he decided to make a more dramatic change and enroll in graduate school.

The timing was tricky. He and his wife, Irina, who is scheduled to graduate from USA this month with a Master of Science in nursing, have three young children. Finally, he decided to make the leap.

鈥淚 was a little nervous,鈥� he said. 鈥淎rt was in my heart, but I鈥檓 new in this place, and everyone seemed so young.鈥�

鈥楤elieving in what you do鈥�

Gu茅rard dresses like a student 鈥� sneakers, jeans and a flannel shirt 鈥� for a long evening in an art department studio. During the summer, he often works at the USA Baldwin County Campus in Fairhope, while his kids ride their bikes through a nearby park.

鈥淎rt for me is a lot of patience,鈥� he said. 鈥淏elieving in what you do. Putting in a lot of time.鈥�

The actual sculpting of a head in clay doesn鈥檛 take him that long. The difficult part is deciding on a mood and a message.

鈥淭his guy hasn鈥檛 spoken to me yet,鈥� Gu茅rard said, waving at a lonely figure on a shelf. 鈥淚鈥檒l have to see what he has to say.鈥�

Response to his Chief McGhee sculpture has been enthusiastic. Creek leaders raved when he brought a cold-casting of his piece to Atmore. Now there鈥檚 talk of collaborating on a book about tribal art and history.

鈥淚 was like, whoa,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I walked into the museum, everyone was so excited to see it, and that was the best reward I could get.鈥�

Gu茅rard isn鈥檛 exactly sure where his Creek work will lead. He is halfway through a three-year graduate program at USA and still needs to complete a master鈥檚 thesis. With his art experience and people skills, Gu茅rard thinks he might be good at teaching.

鈥淚 think I can help people express themselves in art,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut you never know what鈥檚 going to happen. That鈥檚 the beauty of it.鈥�

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