Southern Agenda

Power of Place


“What stories remain untold on the National Mall?” asks a new exhibition, Pulling Together, which will be unveiled August 18. It’s been sixty years since Martin Luther King Jr. led the March on Washington, and in commemoration, six visionary artists created large-scale artworks to answer that question. “The National Mall is our country’s most memorable symbol of American democracy and site of our shared struggle for freedom,” says cocurator Salamishah Tillet. One of the monumental works is The Soil You See by multimedia artist Wendy Red Star. Her giant transparent fingerprint features the names of the Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation chiefs who signed treaties with the U.S. government between 1825 and 1880. “It’s an honor and a great opportunity,” Red Star says, “to highlight the voices of Indigenous peoples throughout history and our contributions that have shaped the United States.” beyondgranite.org