Statue of Harriet Tubman (DeDecker)
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| Statue of Harriet Tubman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Jane DeDecker |
| Year | 2006 |
| Type | bronze |
| Location | Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA |
| 42°14′26″N 83°36′56″W / 42.24062°N 83.61552°W | |
A statue of Harriet Tubman created by artist Jane DeDecker[1] honors the life of abolitionist Harriet Tubman. The bronze statue depicts Tubman walking and holding the hand of a young boy.
There are several installations of identical copies of the statue, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, in Little Rock, Arkansas, in Gainesville, Georgia, and in Mesa, Arizona.
Installations[edit]
The statue was made in an edition of seven. Critics have noted that the statue's expression suggests Tubman's "gentle caring manner and generosity."[2]
The statue in Ypsilanti, Michigan, was unveiled on 21 May, 2006, as part of a redevelopment of a plaza adjacent to the Ypsilanti District Library.[3] Two years later, the library board added a plaque to the statue describing Tubman's life and achievements as a response to local queries about the statue; the original plaque was located at the base of the rear of the statue in an area difficult to read easily.[4] The plaque and statue commemorate Ypsilanti's connection to the Underground Railroad.[5]
The one in Little Rock, Arkansas, was originally placed in Little Rock's Riverfront Park; however, during the construction of the Game and Fish Nature Center in the park it was relocated to the entrance of Clinton Presidential Center[6] as part of a series of six pieces of art lining a walkway from the downtown area of Little Rock to the Presidential Center.[7]
The one in Gainesville, Georgia, is located at the entrance to Thurmond–McRae Lecture Hall on the campus of Brenau University.[8] Its installation was the first instance of an educational institution in the southern United States honoring Tubman in such a visible way.[9] A further identical statue is located on the campus of Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia.
References[edit]
- ^ "Jane DeDecker Biography Cavalier Galleries". cavaliergalleries.com. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
- ^ Elise Anne Geltzer (2015). "Variations on a Theme: Contemporary Memorials to Harriet Tubman". CUNY master's thesis.
- ^ "YDL-Michigan Ypsilanti District Library". www.ypsilibrary.org. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- ^ "Tubman gets proper recognition; Plaque explains who she was, what she did". MLive.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- ^ "A look at Ypsilanti's role in the Underground Railroad". AnnArbor.com. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
- ^ Scott. "Sculpture Vulture: Harriet Tubman". Little Rock Culture Vulture. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
- ^ "Harriet Tubman Public Art Archive". www.publicartarchive.org. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
- ^ "Public Art Tour in Gainesville, Georgia Vision 2030". www.vision2030.org. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
- ^ Sernett, Milton C. (2007). Harriet Tubman: Myth, Memory, and History. Duke University Press. p. 245.