Speak Up!

TITLE

Speak Up!

ARTIST

Dorian Sylvain

LOCATION

623 South Wabash Avenue (South Side)

PHOTO CREDIT

Sandra Steinbrecher

ABOUT THE MURAL

Speak Up! honors Kamala Harris, the first woman and person of color elected Vice President in 2020--exactly 100 years after women gained the legal right to vote. To commemorate this groundbreaking achievement, the artwork takes the form of a text-based mural featuring the powerful quote, "I'm Speaking," which was said by vice presidential candidate Harris during the 2020 vice presidential debate.

This mural serves as more than just a monument dedicated to Vice President Harris's historic election. It encapsulates the challenges women and people of color face in having their voices heard, as well as the progress made for greater participation in politics and policymaking. Yet, amid these advancements, the mural acknowledges that the journey toward true equality continues. By featuring this empowering phrase in a visually striking manner, Speak Up! invites viewers to celebrate the progress, face the challenges, and remain vigilant in the pursuit of a more just and inclusive society.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Dorian Sylvain is a painter whose color and texture explore ornamentation, pattern, and design as identifiers of cultural and historical foundations. She is a studio painter and muralist, as well as an art educator, curator, and community planner. Much of her public work addresses issues of beautification inspired by color palettes and patterns found throughout the African diaspora, particularly architecture. Core to her practice is collaborating with children and communities to elevate neighborhood aesthetics and foster shared understanding. In addition to commissioned studio and mural work, Sylvain has led public art projects over the past four decades that empower community and expose children to art making. Partnering with such organizations as the South Side Community Art Center, Hyde Park Art Center, National Museum of Mexican Art, DuSable Museum, Chicago Park District, and the Chicago Public Arts Group, she has devoted her work to building the next generation of “cultural keepers.”

ABOUT THE CHICAGO WOMXN'S SUFFRAGE TRIBUTE COMMITTEE

The Chicago Womxn's Suffrage Tribute Committee was formed in 2020 to honor the work of Illinois women for voting and other rights for women, and to ensure that the stories of women’s activism are told and not forgotten. The focus is to create public art projects that will reach wide audiences and serve to mark the work of women activists in public spaces and venues.