©, Linda & Charlie Muñoz, All Rights Reserved

Little River Art

Linda and Charlie Muñoz

About Charlie

Sculpture with a Dimension of Perspective

My earliest art experiences that I

remember was playing with clay dug

up on the roadside near the hospital in

York, Alabama that was operated by my

foster parents, Dr. & Mrs. R.C. Hill.

When I was six my real mother,

Margaret Dunshie married my

stepfather Francisco Muñoz and I moved

to New Orleans, LA. I didn't have any

formal instruction in art but I did find

clay in our backyard in New Orleans.

At some point in elementary school I discovered the art museum. My two aunts Marvelle and Bess frequently would take me to the museum.

My stepfather was the chief inspector at Higgins Inc., a shipbuilding firm famous for WWII landing craft. I was quite fascinated with the steel and welding in the plant.

I became seriously interested in music in high school and wound up being a music major instead of an art major. I received a Bachelor's Degree in Music the University of West Alabama. While there, I took painting with Bill Tidwell–he was very encouraging of my fledgling effort in sculpture.

I went to graduate school at the University of Alabama. I received an M.M. in Music History with Dr. Fred Hyde. I also studied cello with Margaret Christy. I continued my involvement with sculpture by taking courses with Art Oakes.

After my course work at Alabama, I worked on a Ph.D. at the University of Southern Mississippi. I served as an orchestral assistant to the orchestra conductor, Dr. William Gower. I began formal instruction in pottery there when I did several courses with Walter Lok.

I had served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the infantry. After my discharge in 1966, I started casting my own bullets for reloading ammunition. I became bored with bullets and started casting small figures in lead and pot metal derived from melted down car door handles.

Before Linda and I married in 1978, I took a course in bronze casting at the Ontario College of Art in Canada. Linda, our daughter Mira and son Jesse have all helped with my bronze casting at our house here in Cuba, Alabama.

I've been affiliated with the Coleman Center in York, Alabama since its inception. The Coleman Center is a regional museum, library and art complex comprising an artist in residence facility, Municipal Art Project, and Black Belt Design -- a fabric design shop.

I took a jewelry course with Joe Miller at the Coleman Center and I've been making jewelry for over ten years. I also teach jewelry making at the Meridian Museum of Art where I am also on the board of directors.

My music interests have continued along with art. In 1984, Linda and I went to Japan where I studied with Shinichi Suzuki. For a number of years I taught cello and violin privately in the Suzuki Program in Columbus, Mississippi. I've been in the cello section in the Meridian Symphony Orchestra for a number of years and have also taught strings with Meridian Public Schools of Meridian, Mississippi.