Figures
As part of the county-wide celebration of the Bicentennial of Frederick Douglass' Birth in 2018, the not-for-profit Rochester Community Television (RCTV) Media Center hired artist Olivia Kim of Olivia Kim Studio to make 13 "Re-Energizing the Legacy of Frederick Douglass" fiberglass statues of Frederick Douglass. In 9 months she made 17 statues with the help of over 200 volunteers. Thirteen statues were displayed publicly for 5 years throughout Rochester, marking places of historical significance. Two were commissioned by a private collector and the organizations St John Fisher College & the University of Rochester's Memorial Art Gallery. Tony-award winning dance choreographer Garth Fagan commissioned the seventeenth statue to become part of his dance tribute to Douglass "The North Star."
Since then, the project has evolved through many stages, including vandalizations that brought about national discussions for the protection of public art, public outcry and healing process through events and discussions, activation of justice, renaming of the Greater Rochester International Airport after Frederick Douglass, making of the bronze version of the Bicentennial Frederick Douglass statue (2022) for the Rochester Airport and the bronze monument "Salt of the Earth, Light of the World" (Douglass and Lincoln shaking hands during their secret 1864 meeting to end the Civil War), on Exchange St, Rochester (2023).
The airport bronze was awarded a Chairman's Extraordinary Action Award from the National Endowment for the Arts and "Salt of the Earth, Light of the World" was awarded local, state and national awards from the American Public Works Association. The original fiberglass statues were renovated in 2025 and some have been put out for public display by the City of Rochester, NY.
Currently funds are being raised by RCTV Media Center to make the "Building Strong Children" project that will add more statues to go with the airport bronze. Statues of wife Anna Murray Douglass, living Douglass descendants Ken Morris Jr. and Nettie Washington Douglass and three children will be added to convey how the Douglass Family has been continuing Douglass' Legacy to end slavery through education. To learn more about the project and to donate, please visit https://www.RCTVMediaCenter.org/FrederickDouglass