Love It? Hate It? Tell Us What You Think About E Pluribs Unum
Why We Oppose The Slave Image
Indianapolis Star | August 4, 2011
The Citizens Against Slave Image (CASI) would like to extend its deepest gratitude to those who have stood with us and made their voices heard. We are grateful for the widespread support that we have received from across racial, political and religious lines, as was quite evident at last Saturday's community rally.
We thank Indianapolis Mayor Gregory A. Ballard and the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) for their decision not to place the proposed public art at the City-County Building.
CASI was organized for the sole purpose of opposing "E Pluribus Unum" from being placed on public space. While we are pleased with the foundation's decision not to locate the artistic conception by artist Fred Wilson at our city's most prominent government building, we do not consider this development a victory.
We are not against the Cultural Trail, its sponsors or supporters. Many of us are patrons and supporters of the arts and know the value that it has for our community. We also acknowledge Mr. Wilson's accomplishments and contributions to the art world.
However, our concern is with the re-imaging of the emancipated slave figure taken from the Soldiers and Sailors Monument downtown supposedly to create an empowered "21st century African-American."
Taking A Step Backwards With Slave Image On City Streets
Forum Post | March 6, 2011
I personally find Mr. Wilson's body of work to be very thought provoking, lending too much reflection and dialogue. My concern has always been the placement of E Pluribus Unum in a public space on Washington Street. Our city has spent much time and money developing downtown for tourists and conventions, just finishing the new expansion of the Convention Center. What message are we sending as a city when we display a sculpture of a slave?
Sculpture Can Foster Dialogue About Race
Indianapolis Star | August 13, 2011
Written by Maxwell L. Anderson
Public art at its best and most meaningful is a source of discussion -- discussion about issues of common, public concern. Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Washington, D.C., a figurative scar in the earth, was reviled by many at its 1982 dedication, because it lacked positive attributes about the soldiers who gave their lives. Today it is among the most acclaimed war memorials in the world -- in particular by veterans and their families.
Our city has a large number of war memorials. Fred Wilson's proposal of the sculpture "E Pluribus Unum" for the Indianapolis Cultural Trail addresses one such memorial, and in the process has aroused strong feelings. It was meant to do so. But it has another dividend. Unlike public art that is merely decorative or celebratory, it operates on multiple levels at the same time.
Speaking Of Influence: A Monument’s Invisible Man
Art 21 | February 22, 2011
Artist Fred Wilson looks at what institutions place on view and then uses his art to respond critically. His work challenges those institutions to reflect on their own practices and—sometimes—to change. Wilson is famous for revealing how racism influences the art world, especially its practices of collection, exhibition, and interpretation. Recently, Wilson has shifted his attention beyond the art world to raise questions about how racism influences public space. In Indianapolis, a Wilson artwork is at the center of a heated debate about race and representation, power, and cultural politics.
The Good & Bad
Tiara, student | May 2, 2011
The project is great however there are some downfalls in my opinion. Taking the piece out of the original statue I thought was a good idea. The downfall about the project is the location they are moving this piece to. Come on the City County Building? It’s definitely not going to get paid attention to. I am pretty sure a criminal is not going to even care about the statue. They are going to be more worried about what is going to happen in court or what the future holds for them. It can also be controversial putting an African American man in front of the City County Building. People of other races may take it as an offense. If it stays on the circle then more people are going to see it. Many come from all over every day and most likely they will not be taking a tour of the City County Building. This piece is an individual; it can still be one on the circle. Overall, the project is good. I can see people really enjoying the statue, just in a different location.
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down
Indianapolis Recorder | October 21, 2010
“We don’t want this here,” said one man during a recent public forum at the Madame Walker Theatre Center about E Pluribus Unum, an art piece created by internationally-renowned artist Fred Wilson.
Many Indianapolis residents are upset over the sculpture and have likened it to a Black lawn jockey and that the figure taken from the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the Circle downtown, the inspiration of the project, is in a slave-like, submissive position.
Another man saw it differently. “He has a body of work that has done a great deal to shed light on race,” he said in a previous interview. About 300 people showed up for the meeting.
The Role Of Public Art
Alli, student | June 1, 2011
Public art. It is a display of a variety of any media or design viewable to all. It is an expression that is supposed to get an idea across to multitudes and either please the viewers’ eye or help the viewer dive deep into mind exploration. The importance of it can withhold reality for centuries and may carry on the past through to the present and beyond. It develops a realm in the community, a variety of vantage points, it reveals the act of humanity. I thoroughly respect Fred Wilson's proposal and wish I understood the older community’s dislike for it. This is not something to argue about. The war on racism is almost over but this shows me as a young person in the community that the elders just can’t seem to overcome this epidemic that swarmed their childhoods. It is a simple representation, a truce, a surrender. It can contribute to the final step this nation needs to take.
Find Courage To Get Artwork Up
Nuvo | January 5, 2011
Fred Wilson's "E Pluribus Unum," the proposed — and controversial — public sculpture that would be installed at the corner of the plaza in front of the City-County Building has drawn praise from arts journalist Tyler Green on his ARTINFO.com blog Modern Arts Notes.
Green ranked Wilson's proposed piece at Number 8 in his Modern Art Notes 2010 top ten list. Green wrote: "The most thoughtful work of public art proposed in years, Wilson's sculpture kicked off a city-wide conversation from which art and artists too often shy away. Wilson's engagement with the residents of Indianapolis should be a model for other artists."
Let's hope Green's assessment of the public process that, if anything, seemed to overtake Wilson and the Cultural Trail planners who commissioned the work last year, proves to be as salutary as this pick would indicate.
What Type of Artwork Would You Like to See in Our City?
Gregory, age 17, student | April 10, 2011
I would like to see more artwork from a variety of cultures. This will help more citizens of Indiana be able to identify with this state. It would be beneficial to a large group of minorities in this city.
Laying It All On The Line
Afternoons with Amos | October 20, 2010
What You May Not Know
Wikipedia | March 3, 2011
E Pluribus Unum is a future public artwork by American artist Fred Wilson, which will be located along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail at the northeast corner of Delaware and Washington streets, near the City-County Building in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Funded solely by private donations and fundraising by the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), the sculpture was scheduled to be unveiled on September 22, 2011, the 149th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's initial reading of the Emancipation Proclamation to members of his Cabinet.
However, due to an increase of public opposition to the project beginning in September 2010, the future of the statue will depend on the output generated from a series of community meetings in 2011.The sculpture could be installed in mid-2012.
Welcoming Controversy With Open Arms
Nuvo | October 29, 2010
Sometimes good news comes wrapped in an unexpected package. Take, for example, "E Pluribus Unum," a privately-funded sculpture by Fred Wilson that's been proposed for installation on the plaza in front of the City-County building.
The proposed sculpture, whose title translates as "out of many, one," echoes an image you can find at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the Circle. There, amongst a cluster of dramatically posed limestone figures, is the depiction of a freed slave, sitting on the statue's plinth, holding up his broken shackles in tribute to Lady Liberty.
Wilson, who is African-American and based in New York City, is known for creating works that borrow from existing objects. When he was commissioned to do a piece that would be in view of downtown's Cultural Trail, he began by exploring the public sculptures that were already here, especially our war memorials. The freed slave at the Monument was the only African-American image he was able to find. He decided to make that character his subject.
Not Backing Down
Jakob, age 18, student | March 2011
Public art is a valuable tool for community discussion in a culture
that is increasingly more insular and guarded. In a way, without having
built a single thing, Fred Wilson has made a success of this goal. The
arrival of debate and discussion has come, albeit perhaps earlier in the
life of the project than the artist intended. However, it is important
that, despite the seeming trepidation to proceed on the part of city
powers, that this commission should be completed. Some wonder what it
would say about the city to have such a prominent representation of a slave in our downtown. I wonder, however, what it would say about our city should we back down on the project at this juncture.
Make It Happen
Your Voice Post | March 11, 2011
I love it! I want it to happen and hope that Indy gets together behind this important piece of public art and makes it happen!
Does Project Deserve $50K Joyce Award?
Afternoons with Amos | January 26, 2011
The controversial sculpture of a freed slave has been awarded a 2011 Joyce Award by the Joyce Foundation. Afternoons with Amos talked with the Joyce Foundation’s Michelle Boone who explained the Award which annually recognizes projects in Midwestern communities that support artists of color. The $50,000 Joyce Award prize went to the Indianapolis Cultural Trail for the Fred Wilson sculpture of the freed slave located on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument downtown which will be recreated and placed on the Cultural Trail at the City-County Building. A project that has become a firestorm of controversy in the African-American community.
Fred Wilson Public Art Project Discontinued
December 13, 2011
CICF will support new public art/memorial project to be led by community advocates
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – E Pluribus Unum, a proposed public art project by New York-based artist Fred Wilson for the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick has been discontinued following unanimous votes by the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) and Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc. Boards of Directors. The decision came after the conclusion of a two-year community input process. CICF will instead support a new public art/memorial project to be located on the Cultural Trail that will be led by a group of community advocates who participated in the process.
Will It Be Completed Or Not? Project Decision On Dec. 13
Press Release | December 12, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — After evaluating remarks given during its community input process, the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) is now preparing to announce the fate of E Pluribus Unum, a proposed public art project by New York-based artist Fred Wilson for the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick.
What: CICF Press Conference
When: Tues., Dec. 13 at 12 Noon
Where: 37 Place (formerly IPS 37), 2605 E. 25th St. - park in the back of the building
The project would recreate or "repurpose" an African-American man whose image is currently found on The Soldiers and Sailors Monument at the center of Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana.
Tuesday's announcement comes on the heels of seven community meetings and one large town hall discussion, all designed to support education and input about the proposed artwork.
Additionally, this website was created to foster this ongoing conversation about how residents feel about the project and whether it should be completed.
Public Meetings To Help Decide Fate Of Wilson Public Art Project Begin On Oct. 8 - Nov. 5
Press Release | September 30, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Community meetings will begin on October 8 for the public art installation, E Pluribus Unum, a proposed project for the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick. The meetings are part of the ongoing process meant to help determine if the project is completed and where it would be located. Organizers are looking forward to continuing discussions about how residents feel about the project and whether it should move forward.
“People are talking about this project, and we want them to know their opinions are valued and needed as we discuss the next steps,” said Brian Payne, President and CEO of Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) and the Cultural Trail’s co-lead partner with the City of Indianapolis. “This project has already sparked an ongoing and very meaningful conversation. No matter where you stand on the issue, we want to hear from you.”
The “Community Matters” discussion series will offer an open dialogue on artist Fred Wilson’s piece, which would recreate a figure currently found on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Using this figure, Wilson proposes to create a new “reality” and meaning for the figure in a way that challenges how we view and ultimately interpret the image.
CICF Removes City-County Building As Potential Project Location
Press Release | July 29, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — After receiving multiple requests from concerned citizens, including Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) has agreed to a change of location of the proposed E Pluribus Unum, a public art project for the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick.
The artwork, which would recreate a figure currently found on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, was originally to be located on the front plaza of the City-County Building in conjunction with a nearby section of the Cultural Trail.
Fred Wilson, the artist who proposed E Pluribus Unum, is internationally recognized for his work “repurposing” icons and artifacts in order to create new perspectives and meanings, and to help people see those artifacts in a different way, as he intends to do with E Pluribus Unum. His artwork was commissioned following recommendations made by the Cultural Trail Curatorial Advisory Committee, which was comprised of local curators of contemporary art, local artists, and relevant design professionals.
“The project is currently in its proposal state, and remains on hold,” said Brian Payne, president and CEO of CICF. “Since the project’s inception we have been committed to a full and inclusive discussion throughout the entire community in order to determine how best to proceed with this project, including whether the project should be completed at all. As a result of this process, the project would not be located on the City County Building property, and we will continue gathering additional feedback regarding the location and other elements in order to best address community interests.”
A series of community meetings, developed in conjunction with the Race and Cultural Relations Leadership network, a committee of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, has been in the planning stages, and dates will be announced soon. Those interested in attending the meetings to discuss the project may find a schedule, along with more information about the project, at fredwilsonindy.org, or by calling 317.631.6542, ext. 173.
Embrace Slave Statue As A Learning Experience
Indianapolis Star | August 26, 2011
Written by Mildred Strong
I felt a sense of vindication as I read the article by Carlton Waterhouse, "Beyond Guilt and Shame," Aug. 21. He spoke so eloquently to my sentiments. Why would you be ashamed of the millions of Africans who were enslaved in this country? Rather the shame should be on a nation that labeled a people as sub-human for material gain.
My grandfather was a slave until he was 8 years old. He was a man of innate intelligence, integrity and determination, not because of slavery, but in spite of it. He was also a man of faith despite the indignities he experienced in a "Christian nation."
He moved his family to Indianapolis from Mississippi in the early 1920s and continued to be an example to his family and others that all men have dignity. So let us display "E Pluribus Unum" in a prominent place in this city, so that we may ponder the futility of slavery and its far-reaching effects, realizing that slavery was an important part of American history. Let us not hide from our past but use it as a painful learning experience. Then we can begin to make America, which is a great nation, even greater.
Public Art vs. The Public in Indianapolis
Studio 360 | August 19, 2011
A work of public art is causing a stir in Indianapolis — and it hasn’t even gone up yet. The dispute involves a monument of a freed slave that was supposed to be placed in downtown Indianapolis. The work, “E Pluribus Unum,” is by the celebrated African-American artist Fred Wilson.
Wilson based his figure of the freed slave from the city’s Soldiers and Sailors Civil War Memorial, made in 1902. Positioned at the base of the older monument, the man is shirtless, sitting down, and holding up a flag. Wilson, who is known for recontextualizing existing art objects, tells Kurt Andersen that he wanted to replicate the figure but give him a prominent place of his own nearby, “so that he is a person, he is a man, and he can represent something else, something positive.”
But some in Indianapolis’ African-American community don’t see it that way. In the last year, opponents have organized, protesting the work at civic meetings, in the media, and recently at the State Capitol. One opponent is longtime state representative Bill Crawford, who says that Wilson’s statue — intended to correct stereotypes — instead perpetuates them.
"As long as we keep looking back to what we were,” he tells Kurt Andersen, “we are never going to be what we ought to be and what we're going to be." He argues that the public should have a larger say in the matter of how they are represented. “Public art can be challenging, but it cannot be in your face without asking [the public's] opinion.”
The private foundation that is backing the statue recently announced that it will not be placed at the original location. Although they’re looking for another site, they acknowledged that the statue may never be installed.
"Of course it doesn't make me happy that people are upset with this particular sculpture,” Wilson says. “But I am really thrilled that people are in dialogue about imagery, the city, and how race is infused in that dialogue … In the end, the people of Indianapolis really have to come together, and I'll abide with whatever comes down the pike."
This Sculpture Is Appalling
Indianapolis Recorder | September 16, 2010
When I opened up the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper a few weeks ago, and saw the picture of the sculpture that was created (or recreated) by artist Fred Wilson, I was appalled, embarrassed, disappointed, and outright mad. My initial thought was that the features around the shoulders, neck, head and face looked “ape-ish” to say the least. And as I read further into the article, I realized that this monument was commissioned by the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, and in their words, “to create a monument noting the place of African-Americans in contemporary society.
Who Am I?
Zaria, age 14, student | May 2, 2011
Who Am I?
I'm that guy,
You sometimes deny,
Is that why you have that glare in your eye?
Who Am I?
Am I of African descent?
No one knows,
Without my consent.
They judge by the way I look,
What I wear,
The nappiness of my hair,
Who are you to judge the way I appear?
Who Am I?
I'm free of the shackles and all the pain.
Is that too much for you to gain?
Who am I?
The way you stop and stare,
Makes me feel like no one even cares.
Who am I?
I'm not like Mr. King nor Malcolm X,
A difference they have made on these very streets.
I'm that guy that nobody knows,
I'm a nobody doesn't that show?
Who Am I?
I am just a man that crouches down when everyone else stands,
I am a man,
Who is looked down upon,
I am a man that never gives up until the end,
I am a man that is here to lift my flag until now is then.
Who Am I?
I am a man... I am NOT a nobody.
I am a man... I am SOMEBODY !
Does This Image Mean Anything To You?
Josh, age 18, student | April 10, 2011
Yes and no. The reason I say yes is because I feel African Americans do not get that much limelight after all the things they went through. And I say no because it's just an image.
What Was He Thinking? Fred Wilson On The Record
Don't Delay America's Most Promising Art Project
Modern Art Notes | January 26, 2011
I don’t know if this is good news or not: Today the Joyce Foundation announced that it would give $50,000 to the Central Indiana Community Foundation to help realize Fred Wilson’s E Pluribus Unum (at right) in Indianapolis. (Background: Last October MAN examined Wilson’s sculpture and the conversations it has started in Indianapolis here, here and here.)
Speak Now!
Take our quick survey and let us Now what you think about Fred Wilson's E Pluribs Unum!
Beyond Guilt And Shame: Sculpture Of Freedman Can Help Us Honor, Acknowledge History
Indianapolis Star | August 21, 2011
Written by Carlton M. Waterhouse
Recent conversations about the proposed sculpture of a freedman originally planned to be placed near the City-County Building in Indianapolis reflect an unhealthy pattern of dealing with this critical aspect of our history that needs to be broken; a pattern that focuses on feelings of guilt, shame and apathy.
These naturally flow from the ignorance that most Americans have about enslaved Africans as people and about slavery as an institution. Although "the peculiar institution" represented a central aspect of America's political, economic and social identity, most Americans have a very limited knowledge of the people who were enslaved or the critical contributions they made to the development and progress of the nation. In effect, slavery has been relegated to the shadows of our shared memory. As a result, many of us have strong emotional responses of shame or guilt about the subject without much knowledge or the benefit of diverse perspectives.
Much of the discussion has been about how a "slave image" will make some people feel. The strong implication has been that images or monuments of freed or enslaved Africans are not inspirational but shameful. I understand where such views come from. I held them myself before I learned that enslaved Africans were people with lives, hopes and dreams, and not just victims of a brutal system.
But why should I or anyone be ashamed of the millions of enslaved Africans who made the United States of America possible?
Let's Keep Connecting On Sculpture Project
Indianapolis Star | August 10, 2011
Written by Brian Payne
The Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick was created as a vehicle to help us connect -- with Downtown's cultural districts and venues, with diverse neighborhoods, with meaningful public artworks and with the many other trails and greenways our city proudly offers. It was also created to help us connect with each other.
Just the potential of a new art installation on the trail -- Fred Wilson's "E Pluribus Unum" (Out of Many, One) -- has helped many people connect in ways that likely would not have happened before. Wilson's inspiration is an existing figure on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. He proposes giving this maligned figure a new life by placing it in a prominent location where anyone, from any walk of life, could engage in meaningful discussions about the artwork. Or anything else they wish to share.
"When I looked at that sculpture, I saw the man," Wilson has said. In his mind, it was an injustice that the only public representation of Indianapolis' thriving black community was the image on Monument Circle. His intent was not to merely recreate that image, but instead take its story to a new level, one removed from the seemingly despairing constraints of his present "home."
By focusing on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Wilson did not intend to overshadow other notable local and national heroes who undeniably could serve as inspirations for future artworks. It is Wilson's hope that this project will foster opportunities for more African-American artists and that more people of color will be celebrated in the public realm. But he kept coming back to Monument Circle and his desire to tell the story of that one image.
We understand that some members of our community find Wilson's vision objectionable. As community leaders, our responsibility is to be purposeful, and to get this project right. This begins with ensuring that people understand what this project is -- and what it is not. As we have since the project's inception, we invite community members to share their concerns with us, because we are listening.
Stop Using This Project To Further Your Own Agenda
Forum Post | February 26, 2011
Mr. Wilson's work has been "painted" with a negative brush for a number of reasons. First, because there are individuals in the community who did not do their homework about the meaning and intention of the work before making accusations. Reacting to this project based upon hearsay - a number of members of the African American community were led to believe that Wilson (labeled an "outsider" even though he is an African American artist who has a history of using his work to address very difficult issues related to race, culture and history) was somehow being used to perpetuate the very stereotype the work attempts to address.
The Road To Redemption
2011 Joyce Award Video
The Role Of Public Art
Kathryn, student | June 1, 2011
I believe public art is there to be enjoyed. If art is controversial, if it offends people, it has no place in the public view. Such pieces should be kept in a gallery or museum, so that if people want to look at them, they may. If they don’t, however, they are not forced to. As for my opinion on the Fred Wilson project, there’s not much to say, from a political standpoint. I don’t see it as controversial, but I think it would be better to make an artwork depicting one of the great African-American leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr. A slave, even a freed one, dredges up unpleasant thoughts of one of the darkest moments in our nation’s history. Artistically, I think it is strange to copy an existing piece instead of creating a new one. Still, it is up to the people as a whole to decide whether it should be built. If they have no issue with it, neither do I.
Keep This Project Moving
Your Voice Post | March 1, 2011
Please continue with your work. The fact that people became so engaged is a victory among itself. I believe in what you have designed as a positive direction for the city. No matter the final design, you would have been greeted with both hostility and praise so make sure the product you end with is what you truly believe!
Does Award Prove Project Worth?
Press Release | January 25, 2011
Central Indiana Community Foundation is proud to announce it has received the prestigious Joyce Award from the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation in support of E Pluribus Unum, a public art project by Fred Wilson commissioned for the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick.
Let's Discuss Race
Forum Post | March 18, 2011
The issue is deep seeded in America and Indiana more deeply. First off the issue of slavery has never been discussed fully nor resolved. Indiana was known as the Mississippi of the north, a lot of unsettled tension is still between blacks and white here. Now with that tension and the only black work to be apart of a bigger display of a slave it was/is naive to think all blacks would just go with it because of what its suppose to mean, that alone was wrong.
What Do You Think About the City County Building Location?
Rasheem, age 18, student | April 10, 2011
I think that it is a great idea because I've been to the circle downtown numerous times and have never noticed the African-American male in shackles at the bottom (of the statue). I would just glance and no one looked like me so I'd continue with my day. But with this new monument it sort of cast of new light on the African-American individual.
Indy's Backlash, Part I
Modern Art Notes | October 27, 2010
Nineteen months after artist Fred Wilson proposed a work of public art for a major new venue in Indianapolis, the project seemed to be moving quietly forward. Titled E Pluribus Unum , the sculpture was commissioned by the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, a city-neighborhood-connecting pedestrian and bicycle path.
What Do You See When Looking At The Image?
Christopher, age 18, student | April 10, 2011
When I look at the image it sets a tone. Looking at it makes me realize how far the race of Blacks have come. The flag is a great additional piece. It has much pride, individuality and purpose of life.
Indy's Backlash, Part II
Modern Art Notes | October 27, 2010
The work Fred Wilson proposed for the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, E Pluribus Unum, takes a cue from Indianapolis’ huge downtown Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, a neo-classical enormity designed by German architect Bruno Schmitz and completed in 1901. One of the figures on Schmitz’s memorial is an ex-slave, as symbolized by the African-American man’s bare torso and the apparently recently broken chain and shackles. (The Col. Eli Lilly Civil War Museum is in the base of the memorial. It chronicles Indiana’s Civil War history.)
Wilson proposed to create a sculpture out of Indiana limestone that would isolate that figure, mostly remove the signifier of bondage and to slightly him. Into his figure’s outstretched arm Wilson would place a flag that represents the African Diaspora. Wilson’s sculpture would be visible from the existing memorial.
As I noted this morning, initial public reaction to Wilson’s artwork was muted. The Indianapolis Recorder, Indy’s black newspaper, published what was by all accounts a thorough, considered story on Wilson and his sculpture in early September. (The story is no longer online.) The story was apparently mild, but the reaction to it was not.
Laying It All On The Line Part 2
Afternoons with Amos | October 20, 2010
Does This Image Mean Anything To You?
Benjamin, age 18, student | April 10, 2011
This image speaks many words to me, and to this nation it shows how far we have come to unify the people of this great nation.
This Man
L. Seymour, age 16, student | May 2, 2011
This man is only a man because this man has no name and with no name there is no story or is there? Is the story in his eyes as he looks as if he’s been through the trials and tried to over come? Or is his story in his hands with the shackles around gripping the freedom out of this man? But can we change what this man is set out to look like? How about hold holding pride in his hands? Having a flag for what stands for his freedom in which he ahs survived for. Can we give this man a good purpose for he has walked this land just like everyone else? Or is that simply too much to ask? Wait…I believe that this man is more than a man…I believe that his story is deeper than ones eyes can imagine. But the look of a man with pride will take all into consideration…with the ambition in which this man will show there should be no excuse on how Indianapolis will glow.
The Role Of Public Art
Ross, student | June 1, 2011
There are many roles for art when it’s in the public. One reason can be to add an aesthetic feeling to the city. Another reason can be to fill space in the city or to possibly get rid of some money. One thing that public art isn’t supposed to do is to cause controversy on purpose. Sadly Fred Wilson is accomplishing that with his recent sculpture proposal for our city. For Indianapolis his sculpture has caused a lot of unneeded controversy among the public. Truth be told I think Fred Wilson should continue his progress on his sculpture. I’m not just saying this because it would be great to go against everyone else, but because it’s a piece that can show that Indianapolis is diverse. It would also add to the amount of art we have now and would help our city become more artsy. Fred Wilson is trying to make a difference in Indianapolis by creating something that constitutes freedom from slavery. I really do think Indianapolis needs to let Fred Wilson build this statue. Even though there are people who think it’s racist it will be questionable if they don’t build it.
