In 2020, Philadelphia Inquirer Arts & Culture reporter Peter Dobrin proposed that Philadelphia needed “a sculpture or monument to Marian Anderson, the late singer, civil rights figure, and city daughter, and it should sit smack dab in the heart of the City.”
As a response to that challenge, the Marian Anderson Task Force Committee was organized. Its goal has been to raise funds for a memorial sculpture to Marian Anderson, an internationally acclaimed Black singer born and raised in Philadelphia. You can learn more about her and her wonderful career as both a singer and a civil rights activist here.
With her home as a museum and the Marian Anderson Hall (formerly Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts) newly renamed, the time is right to build the sculpture and honor Marian Anderson’s extraordinary life and accomplishments and to tell her story as an example of nonviolent resistance and triumph in the face of oppression.
Artist Tanda Francis. Image credit to Jennifer S. Altman.
The sculpture, designed by Brooklyn-based artist Tanda Francis, will feature Anderson “finished in a patina of fired bronze and backed by a series of rippling gold rings symbolizing sound waves.” The project will also include the development of signage and an interactive map for a “Marian Anderson Trail.” The Trail will begin with the dedication plaque to Marian Anderson in the Philadelphia Music Alliance’s Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts, pass the Marian Anderson Monument and Marian Anderson Hall to the Marian Anderson Recreation Center and mural on Fitzwater Street, and on to the Marian Anderson Museum.
The Presser Foundation supports building and renovation projects, as well as capital needs such as hardware, software, and equipment, through its Capital Support grantmaking area. While sculptures are not typically supported by the Foundation, the Board decided that this sculpture has been long overdue and is much needed in Philadelphia. Thus, the Foundation is pleased to provide a $25,000 grant to support this transformational woman, a leader in music and in advocating for equal rights.
We eagerly await the time when the Marian Anderson sculpture, known as “Freedom Rings,” will be stand alongside Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center. We hope that all will take the time to see it and learn about her in her hometown of Philadelphia.
