November 2nd 2023.
Alvin Pettit, an artist from Baltimore, has won a competition to have his version of a Harriet Tubman statue placed on the northeast apron outside Philadelphia’s City Hall. The statue is expected to be completed by 2025, and a budget of $500,000 from Philadelphia’s operating budget will cover payment for Pettit, site work and modeling, engineering and materials, and fabrication costs.
The competition was announced in August 2022 after a controversy surrounding a white sculptor being contacted by the city to build the statue without a competition. This sparked a protest amongst Black artists and activists, with textile artist Dee Jones saying in a community meeting that it was “hurtful” that other artists were not given a chance to have their work considered.
The white sculptor, Wesley Wofford, dropped out of the running, and Pettit’s nearly 14-foot bronze statue, titled A Higher Power: The Call of a Freedom Fighter, was chosen as the winner over four other semifinalists. A small model of the statue appeared at a news conference on October 30th. It showed Tubman with a rifle on her back, a Confederate flag beneath her feet, and her hands in prayer.
Pettit said of the work: “She is shown in majestic prayer. Perhaps she is calling upon her faith or contemplating a battle. This woman was a soldier, a scout, a Union spy, a military strategist, and a war hero. Therefore, I captured a moment in time that shows her as a conqueror.”
The decision to choose Pettit’s work was made based on decisions by city officials and Philadelphia’s African American Statue Advisory Committee, which includes some of Tubman’s family members. The statue is expected to be completed by 2025, and will serve as a reminder of the legacy of Harriet Tubman and her fight for freedom.
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