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Exhibit | Selma to Montgomery

When

Monday January 16, 2023: 10:00am to Thursday February 16, 2023: 8:00pm

Where

Downtown 1st Floor Lobby

Description

About the artwork

Selma to Montgomery is a mosaic depicting a historic march for voting rights. This demonstration started at the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama on March 21, 1965 and concluded at the state capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., thousands of nonviolent demonstrators gathered for this 5-day march, which culminated at the steps of the Alabama state capitol. Here, MLK delivered a sermon entitled "Our God is Marching On" in which he proclaimed: 

"...the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience. And that will be a day not of the white man, not of the black man. That will be the day of man as man." 

This march marked a turning point in the voting rights movement. In August of that year, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. This important legislation outlawed discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, opening a door for many Black and brown voters to register to vote. 

Selma to Montgomery was created using over 16,000 hand-painted LEGO bricks, and it measures ~90" x 40". It was inspired by a photograph captured by Steve Schapiro at Life Magazine. With arms interlocked and leading the march in the photo are (from left to right): Ralph Abernathy, James Forman, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Jesse Douglas, and John Lewis.

About the artist: Aaron Liepman is a Biology Professor at Eastern Michigan University and mosaic artist. To see more of his artwork visit his website at brickmaniac.com or follow him on Instagram @brickmosaics

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Subjects
Adult
Art
Exhibits
Local Creator