Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson, DCASE Complete Installation Of "Other Washingtons" Public Artwork at the George Washington Monument

CHICAGO — Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson joined the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)and highly acclaimed artist and architect Amanda Williams, unveiled the public artwork "Other Washingtons" on August 6 in Washington Park on the city's South Side. Presented as part of the Chicago Monuments Project, the installation surrounds the existing George Washington Monument, located at 51st and S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

"As a signature commission of the Chicago Monuments Project, the Other Washingtons expands our understanding of our history and celebrates the many Washingtons who have shaped our great city," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "Chicago is showing what's possible when cities invest in public art that confronts difficult histories, honors our communities, and tells a more complete story of who we are."

"Other Washingtons" comprises ​nearly 40 flags and banners ​that surround the bronze statue of George Washington and recognize notable Black Americans who share the last name Washington. By expanding the focus beyond the nation's first president, the temporary installation asks audiences to consider a broader constellation of Washingtons whose lives and contributions have shaped the city and nation.

The project also invites community members to contribute biographies of nationally recognized leaders to unsung neighborhood heroe​s and resident​s, ​historical and cultural figures, and ​family members. Together, these contributions will ​live on the project website and ​form a living digital archive that expands over time.

"Other Washingtons' reminds us that Chicago's history is made up of many stories, some well-known and others that deserve to be seen and celebrated," said DCASE Commissioner Kenya K. Merritt. "Amanda Williams invites Chicagoans to help tell those stories and recognize the people who have shaped our families, our neighborhoods, and our city. Through projects like this, we continue building a more inclusive and representative cultural landscape for generations to come."

A few individuals highlighted in the installation include:

• Benjamin Washington, longtime band leader at King College Prep, whose legacy connects directly to generations of young people, South Side traditions and the school's participation in the Bud Billiken along King Drive  
• ​​​Candice Washington, ​​Englewood native, early childhood learning specialist and facilitator, and Educator-In-Residence for the project​​ ​​​​     ​​
• ​​​Noah, John and Amanda Washington, ​​great-great grandchildren of Booker T. Washington. They wrote biographies for one another and a collective one for their great-great grandfather​​​​     ​​
• ​​​Roberta Washington, ​​only the 11th black woman to become a licensed architect in the United States.​​ ​​​​     ​​

"Traditional monuments ​serve an outdated purpose. They leave communities fixed in their understanding of history and repeating narratives that are not reflective of who we are as a country and who we can be​," said Amanda Williams. "'Other Washingtons' is an architectural and artistic intervention that ​invites a participatory and engaged approach for how we ​design space​s​ ​of ​collective memory​ and imagination​. It's an ​opportunity for audiences ​to reclaim a name that carries immense historical weight, turning a singular symbol of the past into an expansive, crowdsourced future."

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"Other Washingtons" is one of the signature commissions of the Chicago Monuments Project, supported by the Mellon Foundation, in partnership with the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. The multifaceted project examines the power of names, the complexity of legacy, and the people and stories chosen for memorialization.

Launched in 2020, the Chicago Monuments Project is one of the nation's most ambitious municipal efforts to reimagine public memory through art. Led by the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) in partnership with the Chicago Park District and Chicago Public Schools, the initiative was created to address longstanding inequities in Chicago's commemorative landscape and expand whose stories are publicly remembered.

Supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation, the Chicago Monuments Project is advancing eight major public art and memorial projects that center histories, communities, and narratives historically excluded from civic commemoration.

For more information on "Other Washingtons", to explore the digital archive, or to submit a story, please visit https://otherwashingtons.com/.

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Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events

The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in Chicago's creative economy, and expands access to and participation in the arts throughout the city's 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for creative workers, DCASE engages Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, from downtown to neighborhoods across the city, to strengthen and celebrate Chicago. DCASE produces some of the city's most iconic festivals, markets, events and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park and in communities throughout Chicago, serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports film, television and other creative industries, and permits special events throughout Chicago. For details, visit Chicago.gov/DCASE and stay connected via our newsletters and social media.

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The Chicago Monuments Project

The Chicago Monuments Project was launched in 2020 to address inequities in Chicago's monument landscape while supporting new monuments, memorials, and public artworks that reflect the city's diverse histories and communities.

Supported by $6.8 million in funding from the Mellon Foundation's Monuments Project, ongoing initiatives include a memorial to victims of police violence; a monument honoring gospel singer and civil rights activist Mahalia Jackson; a commission honoring Native voices at the future DuSable Park, and a new Italian Heritage Monument in Arrigo Park dedicated to Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini following an extensive community engagement process.

More information about the Chicago Monuments Project, artists, selection process and related initiatives is available at Chicago Monuments Project – New Monuments and Memorials. Follow @ChicagoDCASE on social media for the latest updates.

Amanda Williams

Amanda Williams is a Chicago-based visual artist and architect who uses art as a medium to critique and expose the complex intersections of race, capitalism, and the built environment. A graduate of Cornell University's Architecture program, her work translates intricate socio-political concepts into profoundly visceral spatial experiences. Famously known for her breakout project Color(ed) Theory—in which she painted foreclosed houses on Chicago's South Side in vibrant, culturally coded colors—Williams has exhibited globally, including the Venice Architecture Biennale and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). She was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow ("Genius" Grant) in 2022.​ She is co-author of a forthcoming ​permanent​ monument to Shirley Chisholm in Brooklyn's Prospect Park.​

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