Obama Presidential Center to Feature 83-Foot-Tall Glass Mural by Julie Mehretu

In 2026, the Obama Presidential Center will finally open in Chicago. To make it historical, it will also have its own massive stained glass mural designed by famous artist, Julie Mehretu.

ART News shared that the 83-foot-tall mural called 'Uprising of the Sun' will be present in the center as it opens in the said year. Mehretu designed the statue to pay homage to Selma marches, an important Civil Rights Movement in America.

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Julie Mehretu's Uprising of the Sun

Besides her own artistic flair, it will also include elements from three influential Black artists; namely, Afewerk Tekele, Jacob Lawrence, and Robert S. Duncanson. Lawrence had a portrayal of African American life in the Harlem Renaissance and. Mehretu's mural promises to channel that same feel with 'Uprising of the Sun.'

To explain her work, Mehretu shared to ART News: "I'm struck by how the city's identity has been shaped by the Great Migration and the influx of diverse cultures." Considering Obama Presidential Center's place in Chicago, the mural aims to provide a link between the location's historic past and new present.

Former President Obama praised Mehretu's concept and, like his supporters, is also looking forward to see it in real time as the Center opens in Chicago. He also call is "the most important aspects of the Center and will end up becoming an iconic contribution to the South Side and the city of Chicago," according to ART News.

With a new historic mural, Obama Presidential Center is posed to become more than an average museum exhibit with a dig at America's civil rights movement and Chicago's move to support black American citizens.

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