Public Art Project To Celebrate African American Culture

A new art project will be installed along the Cultural Trail to take the place of a failed piece.

In 2010 Fred Wilson was commissioned to re-create a freed slave depicted on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, leading to controversy, outcry and ultimately the cancelation of the project.

Available funds for the original piece are now being used to create a new work for theTrail.  This time around the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee and The Arts Council of Indianapolis are reaching out to the public.   

"It's not a vote," says Dave Lawrence, Arts Council president and CEO, "it's an opportunity to provide comment and feedback on each of the proposals."

Lawrence says early opinions reflect a need for the piece to represent the community's significant contributions.

Five selected artists created maquettes which will go on display this week at the Indianapolis Artsgarden.  The picture here is of a proposal from a Chicago artist entitled "Talking Wall."  The public is encouraged to view all the art online before the selection process later this year.