New York State Senator Sean M. Ryan has announced that an artist from Buffalo, New York, will design a statue in honor of the late Shirley Chisholm, who was a political pioneer, according to a press release from Senator Ryan.
Chisholm was the first black woman to sit in the United States Congress and run for president. She died in 2005 and was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York. She was born in Brooklyn and eventually married and moved to Williamsville, a village in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls region, according to WKBW.
Wife selected is Julia bottom, who regularly shares his work on her Instagram and is a talented and accomplished artist.
the Press release Senator Ryan has more on the concept illustration:
The concept of Bottoms is designed to evoke emotion and inspire thought through a series of elements that refer to the life and legacy of Chisholm. It depicts Chisholm standing in front of a podium adorned with the seal of the 1972 Democratic National Convention, with his hand raised in the air displaying a peace sign. On the side of the podium is a plaque with Chisholm’s famous quote: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” A folding chair leans against the side of the podium, providing a symbolic reference to the quote.
Bottoms also shared how much it means for her to work on this project.
According to the press release, Bottoms said: “To be selected for this project is a great honor for me. I had the opportunity to celebrate the legacy of a woman whose work opened doors for me. I live in the reality of Shirley Chisholm’s vision for the future: a future in which black women bring seats to tables where the world thought they would never have a place. Shirley sparked the imaginations of women around the world when she did her historic run. Seeing her boldly attempt what had not yet been done resonates here in 2022 with my own work. As a black woman in the fine art world, my art has struggled to create representation where it was lacking and to redefine the idea of what a professional visual artist looks like. With every project I work on, I hope the next generation will find inspiration in it. Just as I have walked the path marked by Chisholm’s life and legacy, I also hope to pave the way for the women who will come after me. It is therefore with deep gratitude to Chisholm and the other pioneers who came before me that I start working on this incredible project.
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There was also a statue built in honor of Chisholm in Brooklyn in 2018.
