NEW YORK, March 31 — New York City's Department of Cultural Affairs this week revealed the five preliminary proposals for the monument in honour of Shirley Chisholm — the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress in 1968 and to seek presidential nomination in 1972.
The selected designs were conceived by the artists Firelei Báez, Tanda Francis, La Vaughn Belle, Mickalene Thomas, and Amanda Williams & Olalekan Jeyifous. The winning proposal, selected through the city's Percent for Art programme, will be announced in April.
Firelei Baez proposed a sculpture of Chisholm made of hand-painted columns. When viewed from different angles, the columns shape-shift into three respective portraits of the African-American legislator, each reflecting different aspects of her career. The piece also incorporates hand-painted imagery alluding to Afro-diasporic narratives.
Tanda Francis envisioned a large-scale bronze bust of Chisholm, framed by jets of water and light. The monument also features a pathway lined with quotes of the Congresswoman beginning at the Ocean Avenue entrance of Prospect Park.
In a statement, Francis explained that the project is “a colossal dedication which the people of New York City and the world will seek out and know our commitment to honoring the women who helped build New York."
La Vaughn Belle reinterpreted Chisholm's famous quote, "If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” The artist proposed a sculpture of Chisholm holding a chair and stepping into a re-envisioned version of the presidential seal on the ground.
Mickalene Thomas imagined a human-scale sculpture of Chisholm, leaning against a car. "Rather than portraying Shirley standing at a podium and speaking down to her audience, this model will instead show her rooted in the peoples' space and speaking to their truths," explained Thomas in a statement.
Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous's project features the Congresswoman's silhouette intertwined with the outline of the dome of the US Capitol building. An amphitheater-like shape also wraps around the monument, mimicking the layout of a Congressional seating.
Set to be completed by the end of 2020, Chisholm's memorial in Brooklyn's Prospect Park is the first monument announced as part of the She Built NYC. The initiative focuses on constructing public monuments honoring New York City women who have changed history. — AFP-Relaxnews
