Sculptor Jon Hair has been selected to create bronze busts of James Sidney Hinton and Julia Carson for the Indiana Statehouse permanent historic sculpture collection.

Sidney Hinton was the first African American elected to the Indiana General Assembly in 1880. Carson had a long career of public service, which culminated in her tenure as a U.S. Congresswoman for Indiana from 1997 to 2007.

"I very much admire these two individuals who accomplished so much. It is an honor for me to capture their likenesses, which I hope will inspire people to make their own contributions to Indiana history," Hair said in accepting the commissions.

The Indiana General Assembly has mandated a black history display in the Indiana Statehouse. The Indiana Department of Administration and its partners, with the concurrence of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, determined that this public art legacy project should be created and installed in the building.

The Indiana Arts Commission, the Indiana Historical Bureau, and the IDOA coordinated the artist selection process.

Hair, whose studio is located in North Carolina, was selected from 19 artists who competed for the job. No information on payment was released.

To contact Niki Kelly email her at nkelly@jg.net or follow him on Twitter @nkellyatJG.