MILWAUKEE — The artist behind the President Obama 'Hope' poster, Shepard Fairey, is coming to Milwaukee this week to paint a 'Voting Rights Are Human Rights' mural on the downtown Colby Abbot building.
The 7,400 square foot mural will feature an African American man looking towards the sky, surrounded by artwork by five Wisconsin artists.
Wisconsin artists Tom Jones, Dyani White Hawk, Tyanna Buie, Niki Johnson and Claudio Martinez will collaborate with Fairey to incorporate their artworks into a single cohesive mural.
“The issues of health and voting for people of color are synonymous,” said Jones. “We must not be complacent in these matters. Going to the polls to have our voices heard enacts positive changes for each of our communities and ripples across the United States.”
The photograph that is the center of the portrait was captured during a civil rights march in the 1960s by photographer Steve Schapiro.
Community efforts surrounding the “Voting Rights Are Human Rights” mural involve seeking out out partnerships with non-profit organizations whose missions involve fighting voter suppression.
“We are facing voter suppression in many places in the nation, but I especially wanted to address that issue with my mural in Wisconsin since voter suppression has been such a problem in the state,” said Fairey.
