WOMEN OF THE WALL TOUT HISTORY AND SUPPORT FOR BLACK WOMEN ARTISTS

Panelists Arlene Crawford, Janice Bond, Dorian Sylvain, and Brenda Dickerson at the Women of the Wall at Zhou B Art Center in Chicago. The Salon Talk was moderated by Monique Brinkman Hill.

The Women of the Wall Salon Talk, presented by Pigment International at the Zhou B Art Center, closed the exhibition, Glory! Glory! with a powerful intergenerational conversation about public art, cultural memory, and the enduring legacy of the historic Wall of Respect. Panelists Dorian Sylvain, Janice Bond, Arlene Crawford, and Brenda Dickerson reflected on how the revolutionary mural movement continues to shape artists and communities nearly sixty years later.

The discussion began with the historical significance of the Wall of Respect, created in 1967 by artists connected to the Organization of Black American Culture (OBAC). The mural—painted on Chicago’s South Side—was more than public art; it was a cultural and political statement designed to celebrate Black heroes and build community pride. Panelists emphasized that the project was a collective act of cultural self-determination, bringing together artists, writers, musicians, and activists with the shared goal of affirming Black identity and inspiring social change.

Coleman highlighted the often-overlooked contributions of women to the mural’s creation, including designer Sylvia Abernathy and artist Carolyn Lawrence. Their work, she noted, demonstrated how collaborative art could transform a neighborhood into a site of cultural pride and political expression. Though the mural itself was destroyed by fire in 1971, its influence continues to shape the way artists approach community-based public art.

Contemporary muralist Dickerson connected that legacy to her own practice. Working throughout Chicago’s South Side, she described how murals invite dialogue with residents and young people who encounter the work daily. For Dickerson, community input—whether supportive or critical—helps shape artwork that reflects the aspirations and realities of the neighborhoods where it appears.

Janice Bond and Sylvain broadened the conversation to the role of institutions and mentorship in sustaining community art. Bond stressed that institutions must work with communities rather than imposing projects upon them, while Sylvain emphasized the importance of mentoring young artists—especially women—to ensure their voices remain visible in public space.

Together, the panel affirmed that the spirit of the Wall of Respect endures not only through murals but through the collective commitment of artists, institutions, and communities to tell their own stories.