After the excitement of the unveiling of the Kehinde Wiley statue on Tuesday, I returned to the Virginia Museum today for another exhibit. As I was leaving, I walked out to the entrance to contemplate the new statue in peace and quiet. While I stood there, I noticed an old gentleman gazing up at it. We exchanged glances, and he asked me, “What do you think?” I said, “I think it is wonderful. What do you think?” He looked at me, and his eyes welled with tears. He couldn’t get any words out. He looked at me and shook his head helplessly. I turned to give him his privacy, and when I turned back, he was walking away. And oh, did I forget to mention, he was White. The power of this statue transcends race and generation.
I just read that that statue used to stand in Times Square! Quite an interesting story and artist's statement on its creation. Thank you for an interesting post, Allison - I often learn something from you, which I love! :)
@juliedduncan Yes, it was displayed in Times Square for several months ( I saw it on my October visit) but it was always meant to be displayed in Richmond permanently. The $2 million cost was raised privately. No state funds.
December 13th, 2019
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