GG Park’s Powerful Art Exhibit w/ 350 Statues Says Goodbye
Monumental Reckoning, a poignant and radically inclusive art exhibit to honor Black lives and the history of African descendants, will enjoy a closing ceremony at noon on January 12, to mark the end of its two-year exhibition in Golden Gate Park.
Monumental Reckoning surrounds the vacant plinth in the Music Concourse where a statue of Francis Scott Key was toppled by protestors following the murder of George Floyd on June 19, 2020. It includes 350 four-foot high sculptures crafted in black steel with vinyl tubing, representing the number of Africans initially forced onto the “San Juan Bautista” to become America’s first enslaved people.
“Monumental Reckoning was an extraordinary exhibit that created space for people to reflect on the legacy of slavery, the incredible contributions of Black Americans, and the power of art in our public spaces. Though the installation is leaving, its impact on countless park visitors will remain,” said San Francisco Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg.
Illuminate, the San Francisco-based art non profit, worked closely with artist Dana King whose work focuses on Black History, and San Francisco city officials to get “Monumental Reckoning” installed at the park in time for Juneteenth 2021. The newly recognized federal holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when news of the end of slavery reached African Americans in Texas. Hundreds of people were in attendance as artist Dana King unveiled her work.
“Monumental Reckoning helped educate and enlighten hundreds of thousands of visitors over its two-year run. We were honored to present this exhibit in Golden Gate Park and it is fitting that Dana King will lead the Closing Ceremony.” said Ben Davis, Founder of Illuminate.
Mayor London Breed was present for the exhibit opening. “The art and monuments that we choose to display in our city and the civic art that fills our public spaces must reflect the diversity of our community, and honor our history,” said Mayor Breed. “This powerful public art installation in Golden Gate Park will help us not only commemorate Juneteenth, but also serve as an example of how we can honor our past, no matter how painful, and reflect on the challenges that are still with us today.”
The public is invited to attend the farewell ceremony at the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park on Friday, January 12, 2024, from 12:00-12:30pm.
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Monumental Reckoning PUBLIC PROGRAM on January 12 from noon to 12:30pm
- Welcome: Ben Davis, Illuminate Founder
- Artist Remarks: Dana King, Artist
- Why is Monumental Reckoning so “monumental”? Mark Allan Davis
- Rec & Park Remarks: Staci White (on behalf of Phil Ginsburg)
- Commissioner Remarks: SF Rec & Park Commission President Kat Anderson
- Invocation: Rev Sonia Russell co-founder and CEO of Blackfullness
- Performance: Singer Najé’ Nova will sing Lift Ev’ry Voice acapella
- Closing: Ben Davis
The Closing Ceremony is a homegoing for the 350 ancestors:
- A homegoing is a funeral tradition in the U.S. Black community that celebrates a loved one’s release from this life and a reunion with God.
- Funeral rituals are among the oldest traditions in African American culture since enslaved people were typically able to mourn as they chose, unlike most other areas of their life.
- Another key element of homegoings is the emphasis on community, with distant relatives and acquaintances traveling for the event in order to help the bereaved family heal.
Related Story: 350 Statues Coming to GG Park as Powerful New Art Piece (5/4/2021)
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