Courtney Kenny ‘21

Public Art Class Project:

On August 16th, 2017 the city of Baltimore removed four Confederate monuments in the middle of the night. The monuments were bronze statues depicting white soldiers, generals, women and one Supreme Court justice who was responsible for the Dred Scott Decision.

Students proposed an artistic intervention for one of the empty plinths in Baltimore after doing further research on the contested history of this monument.

Courtney Kenny Statement:

The words on the plinth “Purpose so great” will remain from the previous statue and can be reinterpreted to represent the great purpose of the artists, journalists, writers and photographers that have the responsibility to convey creative and accurate portrayals of the communities they engage with. Additionally, the pencil shaving at the base of the plinth represents the past history and hard work that has come before. We are reminded of the efforts that serve as the foundation and inspiration for future endeavors.

It is important to engage in dialogue with the community and ensure that you have a clear understanding of their perspective by forming a genuine relationship with community members. It’s also vital that the artist makes sure they are uplifting other artists who may be from marginalized groups so that they feel empowered to share their ideas and skills as well. On the plinth quotes from artists and advocates for education will be engraved. The community should be involved with the selection of these quotes.