ZORA NEALE HURSTON
Year: 2019
Medium: Exterior Latex
Artist Statement: The power of art lies in the conversations it produces, whatever your art may be, it can be used as a vehicle for change. In her writing Zora used powerful metaphors, like the ones pictured in my painting, as a vehicle to vocalize the harsh reality of African American history. To me this project is more than just a pretty painting, it is a vehicle to educate and encourage dynamic conversations in our present community.
Zora Neale Hurston was an American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-1900s American South and published research on hoodoo. The most popular of her four novels is Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937.
About the Project
In February 2019, DGRI and Lions & Rabbits issued a call for artists to support the RAD American Women A-Z public art initiative. The project was inspired by "Rad American Women A-Z," a New York Times bestselling book written by Kate Schatz and illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl. Each participating artist was assigned a leader featured in Rad American Women A-Z, and created an original portrait painted on the electrical boxes – which are typically dull or unattractive and house electrical conduit, traffic signal controls, and other basic infrastructure.
“This is so much more than just public artwork,” said Hannah Berry, Founder and Creative Director of Lions & Rabbits. “We will create all these places and moments across our Downtown that celebrate women, bring women together and educate our community about America’s rich legacy of women leadership. This is humbling work for our entire project team and we can’t wait to get started.”
