Figures
A sculptural version of Michelangelo's God and Adam's hands...
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass was buried at the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Rochester, NY because it is the place where he felt most at home.
The county-wide 2018 Bicentennial Frederick Douglass celebrations in Rochester, NY gave birth to the "Re-Energizing the Legacy of Frederick Douglass" Project, that included school readings of Douglass' autobiography, Lighting up of the 1899 Douglass monument at highland Park, the moving of the 1899 statue to a more prominent position on Robinson and South Ave, time capsule, exhibitions, lectures, discussions, and statue project.
RCTV Media Center hired artist Olivia Kim to make the statue project. She directed over 200 volunteers to make a total of 17 statues of Douglass. Thirteen statues were displayed publicly for 5 years throughout Rochester, marking places of historical significance. Three were commissioned by a private collector, Rochester Institute of Technology and St John Fisher & the University of Rochester's Memorial Art Gallery. World renowned dance choreographer Garth Fagan commissioned the 17th 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 motivated the protection of public art, public outcry and healing process through events and discussions, renaming of the Rochester Airport to the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport, making of the bronze version of the "Re-Energizing the Legacy of 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).
Now, the project has progressed to the next phase- the "Building Strong Children" statue project.
Olivia will make bronze statues of Anna Murray Douglass, Ken Morris Jr., Nettie Washington Douglass and three children to go with the bronze Douglass at the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport.
To learn more about how to support this initiative, see: https://www.rctvmediacenter.org/frederickdouglass
You can also enter the Frederick Douglass "Freedom Is" Contests at: https://www.rctvmediacenter.org/freedomis
Links to Contest Guidelines and "Freedom Is" Creativity Sheets on home page of this website.