SEATTLE — The city of Seattle has installed a new, long-term public art piece right outside city hall spanning the entire block along 4th Avenue from Cherry Street to James Street.
The installation reads “Black Lives Matter, Enough is Enough,” and represents a celebration of Black lives as well as a reminder of the need for systemic change in racial justice, according to a release from the city.
The installation is meant to be in place for years to come and will be maintained by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), which used an application method that will make the installation durable and provide design integrity.
It was created in response to community requests and designed with the help of local arts groups.
“The City of Seattle is proud to partner with community leaders to create this new, long-term installation celebrating Black Lives Matter in front of Seattle City Hall,” Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said in a release. “For years to come, all those who pass through 4th and Cherry will see this celebration of the profound impact the Black Lives Matter movement is having on our city and country.”
Ernest D. Thomas, president of the Onyx Fine Arts Collective and partner on the project, called the mural a “concerted global statement” that will serve leaders as well as anyone else battling systemic racism.
The 4th Avenue installation follows a year of protests, unrest and calls for an end to systemic racism in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police.
One Black Lives Matter mural was created in Capitol Hill in the former CHOP/CHAZ area. The mural was later revitalized by community art groups with the help of SDOT.
Sam Zimbabwe, the director of SDOT, said that the new installation along 4th Avenue is a “potent reminder of our shared responsibility to counteract racism wherever and however it manifests.”