Saving Melpomene – Legacy to make repairs to Round Table Park statue of Melpomene

Event: Repair of the statue of Melpomene
Date/Time: 2 p.m. (CST) on Friday, February 3, 2023
Location: Round Table Park on the campus of Hopkinsville Community College

Dr. Marc Shields, son of the late Steve Shields, is traveling to Hopkinsville to make repairs to one of his father’s most beloved and treasured sculptures, the goddess Melpomene, found at Round Table Literary Park at Hopkinsville Community College. Over the years, the copper sculpture has been vandalized and suffered some deterioration. Dr. Shields, a preeminent ophthalmologist and eye surgeon, has worked in the medium for several years, and will repair Melpomene’s hand as well as recreate the Mask of Tragedy she had held previously.

Dr. Shields is working in tandem with HCC’s welding program, Welding Instructor Carroll Williams, HCC maintenance/operations and the HCC Foundation, Inc. to continue the work of refurbishing the park. The media is invited to join Dr. Shields at 2 p.m. on Friday February 3 at Round Table Literary Park, Hopkinsville Community College.

Dr. Shields is the son of Karen Shields and the late Steve Shields, and a graduate of Hopkinsville High School. Academic credentials include a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Princeton University, medical school at the University of Louisville, an internship with Baptist Health System in Birmingham, Alabama, a residency at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and a fellowship in Oculoplastics at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Dr. Shields specializes in Oculoplastic Surgery and General Ophthalmology.

He has lived and practiced in the Shenandoah Valley since 2004. Dr. Shields, his wife and three children have a small farm near Fort Defiance, Virginia. He enjoys the outdoor activities that western Virginia has to offer, especially biking and hiking.