See 5 Design Proposals For Shirley Chisholm Monument And Provide Feedback
FLATBUSH – Last November NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray announced that U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm will be honored with a monument at the Parkside Avenue (at Ocean Ave.) entrance to Prospect Park.
The Chisholm statue was the first announced in the She Built NYC initiative which commemorates history-making women in New York City and works to improve the gender disparity in public memorials—currently only five out of the 150 statues across the city honor women. Four additional statues honoring distinguished women were announced earlier this year and include Billie Holiday, Elizabeth Jennings, Dr. Helen Rodriguez Trías, and Katherine Walker.
The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs’ Percent for Art program has released five design proposals for the Chisholm monument and invites the public to provide feedback on the works at women.nyc. The deadline for comments is Sunday, March 31.
The artists include: Firelei Báez; La Vaughn Belle; Tanda Francis; Mickalene Thomas; and Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous. The Percent for Art committee will select the winning proposal. The Shirley Chisholm monument will be unveiled at the end of 2020.
See the proposed designs below.
Báez’s 10- to 15-foot-high work is comprised of hand-painted metal columns that “collectively shape-shift into three respective portraits” of Chisholm, showing different representations of the politician from varying vantage points.
Belle’s proposal was inspired by Chisholm’s famous quote: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table bring a folding chair.” Belle depicts Chisholm stepping “boldly into a re-envisioned version of the presidential seal.”
Francis’ work features quotes by Chisholm embedded into the sidewalk leading visitors to the Prospect Park entrance and a large-scale bronze sculpture of Chisholm’s head surrounded by jets of water and light. Read more about Francis here.
Thomas’ life-size work features Chisholm seated on the hood of a car encircled by benches and planters filled with greenery that references Chisholm’s Caribbean heritage. Thomas’ work will show Chisholm “rooted in the people’s space and speaking to their truths.”
Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous
The duo’s proposal merges Chisholm’s silhouette with the dome of the U.S. Capital building. The lower portion will be carved to resemble congressional seating, with each seat paying “homage to those who came after Ms. Chisholm as well as…those who have yet to come.”
Shirley Chisholm was born on November 30, 1924 in Brooklyn to immigrant Caribbean parents. She first served New York as a member of the Assembly from 1965 to 1968 then went on to serve seven terms in the U.S. Congress representing the 12th Congressional district. Chisholm’s inspiring campaign slogan was: “Unbought and Unbossed.”
