How the the Organization of Black American Culture's Visual Artists Workshop designed and produced a seminal mural for and within Chicago’s Black South Side communities
Guest curated by Romi Crawford, Abdul Alkalimat and Rebecca Zorach, this exhibition chronicles how the Organization of Black American Culture's Visual Arts Workshop designed and produced a seminal mural for and within Chicago's Black South Side communities. Featuring the images of leading black icons ranging from Sarah Vaughan and John Coltrane to Marcus Garvey and Ossie Davis, The Wall of Respect received national critical acclaim when it was unveiled in 1967 on the side of a building at 43rd St. and Langley Ave. on the heels of the March on Washington, the assassination of Malcolm X and the emergence of Black Power. The Wall was ultimately painted over and virtually forgotten after damage by a fire in 1971, but its legacy has reemerged today as one of the most significant projects in Chicago's storied public art history. It is part of the City of Chicago's Year of Public Art.