World-Renowned Ethiopian-American Artist and Activist Julie Mehretu’s Vision is Now Part of a Public Art Display at the Center to Inspire Visitors and the Surrounding South Side Community

CHICAGO – On September 9, 2024, the Obama Foundation announced the installation of an 83 ft. x 25 ft. commissioned work of art by world-renowned Ethiopian-American artist Julie Mehretu. The piece, titled “Uprising of the Sun,” is now featured on the north facade of the future Obama Presidential Center’s Museum Building.

Inspired by President Obama’s remarks at the 50th anniversary of the marches from Selma to Montgomery, Mehretu’s “Uprising of the Sun“ is a vibrant series of 35 abstract, painted glass panels. The piece reflects on the historical context of President Obama’s legacy, and will inspire viewers and draw visitors to the Center on the South Side of Chicago.

“Julie learned at a young age how access to public space can help shape and affect people's lives,” said President Obama. “For her to be a part of what we hope will be a transformative institution that will be unique in how it brings so many different people, ideas, and resources together is a wonderful opportunity for us.”

The daughter of an American mother and an Ethiopian father, Mehretu believes that art’s role is to provoke thought and reflection and to express the contemporary condition of the individual and society at large. In her paintings, drawings, and prints she presents a dynamic visual articulation of contemporary experience, an abstracted depiction of social behavior and the psychogeography of space. In developing her recent work, Mehretu has drawn from a process of sourcing and manipulating photographic images from broadcast media as points of departure for the social grounds of her paintings.

Collaborating with Franz Mayer Studio, Mehretu created a monumental work in glass for the Center using a variety of techniques, including a combination of hand painting, freehand airbrushing, ceramic melting colors, and tape masking. “Uprising of the Sun” is Mehretu’s first work in glass.

“I wanted to honor Chicago’s history and President Obama’s legacy by telling a story about how change happens,” said Julie Mehretu. “This work is layered with history, and I’m eager to see how people will connect with it – whether you’re a grandparent from the South Side of Chicago or a kid from Addis Ababa. I hope it serves as an invitation to every visitor that they are welcome to be a part of the Center’s mission to make an impact and work towards a better future.”

From the White House to the Obama Presidential Center, President and Mrs. Obama have used the arts as a tool to inspire, empower, and connect people from around the world. This is the third commission announced by the Foundation and the first to be installed. The Foundation previously announced the late Chicago artist Richard Hunt’s “Book Bird” sculpture; and a sculptural water feature, entitled “Seeing Through the Universe,” by artist and architect Maya Lin – best known for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

"President and Mrs. Obama believe that art is an essential part of inspiring the next generation of leaders," said Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett. "In line with our mission, the Obama Presidential Center will feature arts education programs and spaces for visual art, theater, dance, and performance, along with talks, performances, and workshops."

When open, the 19.3 acre Obama Presidential Center campus will include over 20 original artworks across the campus’ interior and exterior grounds. A majority of the artwork will be available to the public, free of charge. The Center is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2026.

Photos of “Uprising of the Sun” can be found here - video can be found here.

Julie Mehretu, (b. 1970, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) lives and works in New York City. Mehretu is the recipient of many awards, including a MacArthur Fellowship (2005) and the Medal of Arts Award from the US Department of State in 2015. In 2020 the artist was included in TIME magazine's 100 most influential people of the year. Mehretu is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences in Ethiopia and the National Academy of Design. She sits on the board of the Whitney Museum of American Art and is a trustee and alumna of the American Academy in Berlin. Mehretu is represented by Marian Goodman Gallery, New York, Paris, and Los Angeles; White Cube, London, Paris, New York, Seoul, and Hong Kong; and carlier | gebauer in Berlin and Madrid.

To learn more about Mehretu, visit: mariangoodman.com, whitecube.com and dennistonhill.org.

Watch this video to learn more about Mehretu and Obama’s vision for the piece on the Presidential Center campus.