‘Other Washingtons’ Unveiled in Chicago

Mayor Brandon Johnson joined the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and artist Amanda Williams on Aug. 6 to unveil “Other Washingtons,” a new public art installation in Washington Park on Chicago’s South Side.

The temporary artwork, created as part of the Chicago Monuments Project, surrounds the existing George Washington Monument at 51st Street and South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

“As a signature commission of the Chicago Monuments Project, the Other Washingtons expands our understanding of our history and celebrates the many Washingtons who have shaped our great city,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “Chicago is showing what’s possible when cities invest in public art that confronts difficult histories, honors our communities, and tells a more complete story of who we are.”

The installation includes nearly 40 flags and banners placed around the bronze statue of George Washington. The works recognize notable Black Americans who share the Washington surname and are intended to broaden the range of people represented in public discussions of local and national history.

Residents are also being encouraged to participate in the project by submitting biographies of leaders, neighborhood figures, historical personalities, or family members with the last name Washington.

Those contributions can become part of a living digital archive connected to the project.

DCASE Commissioner Kenya K. Merritt said, “Other Washingtons reminds us that Chicago’s history is made up of many stories, some well-known and others that deserve to be seen and celebrated… Through projects like this, we continue building a more inclusive and representative cultural landscape for generations to come.”

Williams described the project as an effort to reconsider how monuments shape public understanding of history and collective memory.

“Traditional monuments serve an outdated purpose. They leave communities fixed in their understanding of history and repeating narratives that are not reflective of who we are as a country and who we can be​. ‘Other Washingtons’ is an architectural and artistic intervention that invites a participatory and engaged approach for how we design spaces​ of collective memory​ and imagination​.

It’s an opportunity for audiences ​to reclaim a name that carries immense historical weight, turning a singular symbol of the past into an expansive, crowdsourced future.”

Funding for “Other Washingtons” comes from the Mellon Foundation. The installation is one of eight major commissions being developed through the Chicago Monuments Project.

DCASE launched the broader initiative in 2020 with partners including the Chicago Park District and Chicago Public Schools.

The project was created to examine disparities in Chicago’s commemorative landscape and expand the people, communities, and histories represented in public spaces across the city.