Artists selected to participate in the Greenwood Art Project have been announced on the Greenwood Art Project’s website, and through Instagram and Facebook. The Greenwood Art Project will present 34 temporary public artworks celebrating and commemorating a vibrant community in the Historic Greenwood District. This week marks the 99th anniversary of the 1921 Greenwood Race Massacre.
The announcement is posted on the Greenwood Art Project website: greenwoodartproject.org, Instagram (instagram.com/greenwood.art.project) and on Facebook facebook.com/greenwoodartproject).
Artists selected to work with lead artists Rick Lowe and William Cordova include the following:
The Greenwood Art Project seeks to raise awareness of the 1921 Race Massacre and destruction of a thriving black community in the historic Greenwood District of Tulsa, the location of Black Wall Street. Black Wall Street was the most prominent district of black-owned businesses in the United States in the early 20th century. The project also celebrates the resilience and recovery of the community, which also has a new resonance in today’s challenging times.
Mayor G.T. Bynum said, “Telling the stories of Greenwood in a way that will be unique, moving, dynamic and thought provoking, this project encourages connections and engages citizens and visitors alike to understand the dangers of hatred, the power of resilience and the importance of reconciliation.”
This Greenwood project is made possible by a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies. In January 2019, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced an award of $1million to the City of Tulsa and the Greenwood Cultural Center through the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge.
In August 2019, Mayor G.T. Bynum and MacArthur Fellow Rick Lowe issued a Call for Artists to submit their proposals. Lowe, a nationally renowned artist and founder of Project Row Houses, is working with Oklahoma artists to tell the story of Greenwood through this project. Lowe and Jerica Wortham, program director of the Greenwood Art Project, hosted artist workshops in September and October 2019 to prepare artists to submit their proposals.
About the Public Art Challenge:
In February 2018, Bloomberg Philanthropies invited mayors of U.S. cities with 30,000 residents or more to submit proposals for temporary public art projects that address important civic issues, demonstrate an ability to generate public-private collaborations, celebrate creativity and urban identity, and strengthen local economies.
More than 200 cities applied for the 2018 Public Art Challenge with proposals reflecting diverse artistic mediums and addressing a range of pressing issues and social themes such as community development, environmental sustainability, cultural identity and immigration. Fourteen finalists were announced in July.
Five cities won the Public Art Challenge: Anchorage, Alaska “SEED Lab,” Camden, New Jersey “A New View,” Coral Springs in partnership with Parkland, Florida for “Inspiring Community Healing After Gun Violence: The Power of Art,” Jackson, Mississippi “Fertile Ground,” and Tulsa, Oklahoma for “The Greenwood Art Project.”
More information about the Public Art Challenge can be found on http://publicartchallenge.bloomberg.org
About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in more than 570 cities and over 160 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2019, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.
Media Contact:
Bloomberg Philanthropies, Rebecca Carriero rebeccac@bloomberg.org
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