The Frederick S. Upton Foundation has awarded the Unified Civic Monuments Project (UCMP) a grant of $40,000 to support the design and installation of four new monuments in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph.
Board Chair Jeff Upton said, “Our community and nation have always relied on the arts to unite us in trying times and to remember the great times in celebrations. The Frederick S. Upton Foundation board supports the monuments and continues to believe that our communities can, and will, work together for a brighter future in southwest Michigan.”
Sharon and Mack Brown are the founders of the project and co-directors of the African-American History and Literature Gallery. “We’re so thankful that the Upton Foundation supports our vision for public art that will inspire our community to work harder to connect with each other,” Sharon Brown said. “We are honored to try to represent the gratitude of our communities for this generosity from the Foundation.”
The UCMP is currently selecting an artist from among four finalists to create and place two complementary monuments, one in each city, recognizing civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An additional monument in each city will honor a historic figure specific to that city. The proposals and videos of the presentations of each of the finalists can be viewed at //unifiedmonuments.org/artists.
“Seeing and hearing the artists start to bring these pieces to life was surreal and incredibly moving. It felt as though we were so close to making this happen,” said Mack Brown. “The Upton grant is our largest donation yet, but we still have a lot of money to raise.”
The group will need $850,000 for the project. An update from the project, including an announcement about the artist, will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, Jan. 18. Register online at //lakemichigancollege.edu/mlk. More details, and a link for online donations, can be found at unifiedmonuments.org.
Unified Civic Monument Project
The Unified Civic Monuments Project is led by the founders of the African American History & Literature Gallery, with the support of Krasl Art Center, Lake Michigan College, Berrien Community Foundation, the BH-SJ Arts & Culture Social Justice Group, and the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph. More information can be found at unifiedmonuments.org
Benton Harbor-St. Joseph Arts & Culture Social Justice Group
The Benton Harbor – St. Joseph Arts & Culture Social Justice Group stands in solidarity with community-wide efforts supporting, advocating and promoting social justice within the cities of Benton Harbor & St. Joseph, Michigan. It is our commitment as cultural institutions and individuals to utilize our unique resources to support this work – this may include special programs, space use, materials and expertise.
