Obama Presidential Center Museum Building Now Features 83-Foot Tall Painted Glass Window by Artist Julie Mehretu
Uprising of the Sun by Julie Mehretu - Campus View, Credit: Lamar Johnson Collaborative and Julie Mehretu Studio
World-Renowned Ethiopian-American Artist and Activist Julie Mehretu’s Vision is Now Part of a Public Art Display at the Center to Inspire Visitors and the Surrounding South Side Community
CHICAGO – Today, the Obama Foundation announced the installation of an 83 ft. x 25 ft. commissioned work of art by world-renowned Ethiopian-American artist Julie Mehretu. The piece, titled “Uprising of the Sun,” is now featured on the north facade of the future Obama Presidential Center’s Museum Building.
Inspired by President Obama’s remarks at the 50th anniversary of the marches from Selma to Montgomery, Mehretu’s “Uprising of the Sun“ is a vibrant series of 35 abstract, painted glass panels. The piece reflects on the historical context of President Obama’s legacy, and will inspire viewers and draw visitors to the Center on the South Side of Chicago.
“Julie learned at a young age how access to public space can help shape and affect people's lives,” said President Obama. “For her to be a part of what we hope will be a transformative institution that will be unique in how it brings so many different people, ideas, and resources together is a wonderful opportunity for us.”
The daughter of an American mother and an Ethiopian father, Mehretu believes that art’s role is to provoke thought and reflection and to express the contemporary condition of the individual and society at large. In her paintings, drawings, and prints she presents a dynamic visual articulation of contemporary experience, an abstracted depiction of social behavior and the psychogeography of space. In developing her recent work, Mehretu has drawn from a process of sourcing and manipulating photographic images from broadcast media as points of departure for the social grounds of her paintings.
Uprising of the Sun by Julie Mehretu - Escalator View, Credit: Lamar Johnson Collaborative and Julie Mehretu Studio
Collaborating with Franz Mayer Studio, Mehretu created a monumental work in glass for the Center using a variety of techniques, including a combination of hand painting, freehand airbrushing, ceramic melting colors, and tape masking. “Uprising of the Sun” is Mehretu’s first work in glass.
“I wanted to honor Chicago’s history and President Obama’s legacy by telling a story about how change happens,” said Julie Mehretu. “This work is layered with history, and I’m eager to see how people will connect with it – whether you’re a grandparent from the South Side of Chicago or a kid from Addis Ababa. I hope it serves as an invitation to every visitor that they are welcome to be a part of the Center’s mission to make an impact and work towards a better future.”
From the White House to the Obama Presidential Center, President and Mrs. Obama have used the arts as a tool to inspire, empower, and connect people from around the world. This is the third commission announced by the Foundation and the first to be installed. The Foundation previously announced the late Chicago artist Richard Hunt’s “Book Bird” sculpture; and a sculptural water feature, entitled “Seeing Through the Universe,” by artist and architect Maya Lin – best known for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Uprising of the Sun by Julie Mehretu - Stony Island View, Credit: Lamar Johnson Collaborative and Julie Mehretu Studio
"President and Mrs. Obama believe that art is an essential part of inspiring the next generation of leaders," said Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett. "In line with our mission, the Obama Presidential Center will feature arts education programs and spaces for visual art, theater, and dance, along with talks, performances, and workshops."
When open, the 19.3 acre Obama Presidential Center campus will include over 20 original artworks across the campus’ interior and exterior grounds. A majority of the artwork will be available to the public, free of charge. The Center is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2026.
Artist Julie Mehretu tours the Obama Presidential Center site during the installation of her commissioned artwork, an 83-foot-tall painted glass window titled “Uprising of the Sun,” in Chicago on Sept. 7, 2024 Credit: The Obama Foundation.
About the Artist
Julie Mehretu, (b. 1970, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) lives and works in New York City. Mehretu is the recipient of many awards, including a MacArthur Fellowship (2005) and the Medal of Arts Award from the US Department of State in 2015. In 2020 the artist was included in TIME magazine's 100 most influential people of the year. Mehretu is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences in Ethiopia and the National Academy of Design. She sits on the board of the Whitney Museum of American Art and is a trustee and alumna of the American Academy in Berlin. Mehretu is represented by Marian Goodman Gallery, New York, Paris, and Los Angeles;
White Cube, London, Paris, New York, Seoul, and Hong Kong; and carlier | gebauer in Berlin and Madrid. To learn more about Mehretu, visit: Marian Goodman Gallery, White Cube Gallery and Denniston Hill. For more information about the Obama Foundation, please visit their site, follow them on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube.
Efraín López announces new appointment of Susie Guzman as a Partner
Headshot of Susie Guzman Courtesy of Efraín López
Efraín López is excited to announce the appointment of Susie Guzman as a Partner.
In her new role, Guzman will collaborate closely with the gallery founder to drive the gallery’s exhibitions program and artist roster. Her responsibilities will include overseeing the gallery's participation in international art fairs, cultivating relationships with both emerging and established collectors, and forging connections with global institutions. Additionally, Guzman will focus on nurturing the gallery's artist relationships and expanding its network, ensuring a dynamic and forward-thinking approach to both artist representation and collector engagement.
Guzman has had a successful career spanning over two decades, holding key positions at leading galleries. She joins Efraín López's leadership team to further its mission of celebrating and promoting meaningful and transformative practices in contemporary art.
From 2015 to 2020, Susie served as a senior director at Hauser & Wirth (NY), where she oversaw the commercial strategy, museum engagement, exhibitions, and publications for the estates of three renowned artists: Lygia Pape (1927-2004), Fausto Melotti (1901-1986), and Eduardo Chillida (1924-2002). During her time at Hauser & Wirth, Susie actively participated in major art fairs including Art Basel, ADAA in New York, Frieze, and Frieze Masters in both London and New York. Additionally, from 2017 to 2020, she personally managed the art fair in Spain, ARCOMadrid, and oversaw the reopening of Chillida Leku, the museum founded by Eduardo Chillida in Hernani, near San Sebastian. Before joining Hauser & Wirth, Susie held directorial positions at Peter Freeman Inc. in New York, and Galerie Thomas Schulte in Berlin. She studied Law and International Law at the Universidad Complutense of Madrid and Universitat de Barcelona, respectively.
“We are thrilled to welcome Susie Guzman to our team. “Her expertise and passion for art will be vital in shaping the future of the gallery. I believe that this current moment holds significant potential for exploring new horizons in the art world. Partnering with Susie feels like a natural progression, promising and fortunate. I have always greatly admired Susie’s unwavering dedication to artists and her distinctive enthusiasm, qualities that should be nurtured in all of us. I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with Susie as we embark on this exciting new chapter for the gallery.”
Guzman's partnership at Efraín López will focus on expanding the gallery's roster of artists, enhancing its exhibitions program, and deepening its engagement with the art community. Her role will also include developing new initiatives to broaden the gallery's reach and impact. A native of Spain and based in New York for the last thirteen years, Guzman will oversee the Tribeca space while working closely with European collectors and institutions to expand the gallery's global presence. This appointment highlights Guzman's impressive professional background and extensive knowledge of the art industry. Collaborating with López, Guzman will help steer the gallery towards its next phase of exciting exhibitions and curatorial distinction.
“I am honored to join Efraín López and contribute to his dynamic and forward-thinking vision. I deeply value and admire Efraín’s unique approach to our business and his great sensitivity towards art and artists. I believe we share a similar work ethos and passion for our profession, and wish to contribute to this exciting moment of expansion and growth for the gallery. I look forward to working closely with artists whose careers I deeply admire like Gisela Colón (b. 1966) and Paul Stephen Benjamin (b. 1966), alongside a younger generation who are shaping the contemporary discourse today, such as Braxton Garneau (b. 1994), Monsieur Zohore (b. 1993), and Gabriela Salazar (b. 1981). At this moment in my career, joining Efraín López feels like an unexpected and exciting turn that I am thrilled to take.”
In addition to her focus on the primary market, Susie Guzman will expand Efraín López's boutique secondary market services. Together, they intend to cater to a select group of private clients and public institutions through their network of like-minded art dealers and professionals, enhancing the creation of art collections and addressing the challenges of collecting in the 21st century.
About Efraín López
Efraín López is a Puerto Rican-American art dealer and exhibition maker based in New York City. Between 2012 and 2018, López founded and directed his eponymous gallery in Chicago, where he presented an ambitious and rigorous exhibition program, often giving artists their first solo presentation in the United States. His long-standing commitment to the career development of emerging artists has led to placements in major museum collections worldwide. In June of 2023 López opened Efraín López, a contemporary art gallery in New York's Tribeca neighborhood. The program is conceptual, multidisciplinary, and globally minded, engaging both emerging and established artists.
For media inquiries, please contact here. For more information about the gallery, please visit their site.