Joe Wade Minter Sr. is an African American, Birmingham based artist that specializes in sculptures, assemblages, and collections. His art is inspired by his upbringing and heritage. Growing up during the prevalence of Jim Crow, Minter has experienced racism, discrimination, and segregation. His parents, Rosie McAlpin Minter and Lawrence Dunbar Minter worked as sharecroppers. His mother raised ten children, emphasizing the importance of education, having a close relationship with God, and the Golden Rule. These teachings clearly emerge in Joe Minter’s work. According to him, “What you see before you is a miracle from God. I can make a testimony because I am part of a testimony and God gave me the blueprint.” His father was in the 366th Infantry during World War I and a very skilled blacksmith, a skill that was passed down onto Minter. Joe Minter worked in metal for eleven years and other fields including construction and carpentry.

Joe Minter’s art focuses on a number of topics centered around racism, slavery, and the African American diaspora. He has hundreds of his pieces on display around the perimeter of his home, which is adjacent to Elmwood Cemetery where his father worked as caretaker. His biggest and most prominent piece, the “African Village in America”, is a monument to thousands of African American ancestors and their stories. Minter infused history throughout the African Village, intending it to educate and guide the younger generations to find their destiny. Besides his ancestors and heritage playing a vital role in his art, his late wife Hilda Jo Patrick Minter, is another inspiration for his art. They were married for thirty years and raised two sons together. According to Minter, “The sweetest thing that God could give to a man is a helpmate. She was one hundred percent dedicated to not only giving me the love that she could give, but for the protection, warmth, and the caress that she could give. She was a real queen, a real matriarch.” Hilda Minter passed away September 5, 2021