The Obama Presidential Center (OPC) in Chicago will showcase an 83-foot-tall stained-glass piece by Julie Mehretu on its facade. The work will honor Chicago’s history and the Civil Rights Movement, incorporating imagery from artists Robert S. Duncanson, Jacob Lawrence, and Afwerk Tekele.
Designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago began construction in 2021. The centerpiece, a granite-clad tower, is now under preparation for its major art commission: Mehretu’s “Uprising of the Sun,” a monumental glass window composed of 35 panels, measuring 83 feet tall and 25 feet wide, being installed on the north facade.
Mehretu drew inspiration from various sources. She began with an image of Obama and Lewis crossing the bridge during an anniversary ceremony and was influenced by Robert S. Duncanson’s painting “Land of the Lotus Eaters” (1861), a work that depicts a scene from Homer’s “Odyssey” and reflects grandeur and aspiration. Mehretu blended this with Jacob Lawrence’s “Confrontation on the Bridge” (1975) and explored his “Migration Series” (1940-41), which portrays the Great Migration of Black Americans.
Mehretu also drew from the modernist Africa Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she was born in 1970. A stained-glass window by Ethiopian artist Afewerk Tekle left a lasting impression on her during childhood visits, before her family moved to the Midwest in 1977.
The layers, shapes, colors, and linear dynamics in “Uprising of the Sun” are rich with historical significance. Positioned to allow viewers to see the cityscape through the artwork, Mehretu explains that it is informed by historical layers rather than existing in isolation.
During a brief visit to Chicago, Mehretu reviewed the large-scale piece she had originally created at a quarter scale. Its verticality reflects ascension themes from both Western art and Eastern Buddhist caves. Positioned near an escalator, the work symbolizes transformation and aims to inspire future leaders.
Mehretu titled the piece after its completion, drawing on themes of “ascension” and “light.” The final title was influenced by a 16th-century John Donne poem, as well as references to Duncanson and Tennyson.
The artist felt honored yet overwhelmed by the opportunity to contribute to the Obama Presidential Center. Her respect for President Obama and his family, along with the personal significance his presidency holds for her and her father’s generation, made the project deeply meaningful. She views the center as not just a presidential library but a dynamic institution that inspires future generations.
The OPC will be a community and civic engagement hub, featuring a museum, forum, public library (with a Richard Hunt bronze), gardens, and spaces for recreation and inspiration on a 19-acre campus. Maya Lin has been commissioned for a sculpture with a water feature at the entrance, and over 20 other art commissions will be announced later.
