E Pluribus Unum (Wilson) facts for kids

E Pluribus Unum was a public artwork planned by American artist Fred Wilson. It was meant to be placed along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The name E Pluribus Unum is a Latin phrase meaning "Out of many, one."

This sculpture was going to be paid for by private donations. It was supposed to be shown on September 22, 2011. This date was important because it was the 149th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. However, many people started to disagree with the project in September 2010. Because of this, the plan for the statue was put on hold and later canceled in December 2011.

Designing the Artwork

Fred Wilson created only one design for the E Pluribus Unum sculpture. The committee for the Indianapolis Cultural Trail accepted his idea without any changes.

The sculpture was a copy of an African American figure. It was planned to be 10 by 12 feet tall and made from Indiana limestone. The figure would be sitting but leaning forward. Wilson planned to replace the broken manacles (handcuffs) that the figure held with a flag he designed himself. This colorful flag was a mix of designs from African flags and fabrics. It was inspired by African quilts. The way the flagpole was positioned was similar to the famous Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial) in Washington, D.C..

The sculpture was meant to sit on a three-level granite base. This base would be six feet tall. It was designed to match the nearby City-County Building. The base would also offer a place for visitors to sit. At night, lights would shine on the sculpture.

Wilson's art often makes people think about how different cultures are shown. He does this by changing where existing objects are placed, rather than changing the objects themselves. This makes people see them in a new way.

Where It Was Going to Be

The sculpture was planned for the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. It would be at the corner of Delaware and Washington streets, close to the City-County Building. Wilson chose this spot because it could be seen from many directions on the Cultural Trail. It was also a place that didn't have any other major artworks. Some people who didn't like the location worried about it being too close to the Marion County Jail. They felt this highlighted problems with how different races are treated in the justice system.

Wilson hoped that placing his artwork near the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument would make visitors think about the connection between the two sculptures. He said, "I try to bring the invisible into view." He wanted people to notice that there were not many sculptures of African Americans in Indianapolis. He felt his artwork would start a conversation about this.

The Original Figure's Story

When Fred Wilson visited Indianapolis, he noticed that only one unnamed African American figure was shown in the city's many monuments. This figure is at the bottom of the Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. This monument is very tall, about 284 feet. It honors soldiers from several American wars.

Some people think that over time, war memorials have become more about making cities beautiful. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is a symbol for both Indianapolis and Indiana. While some believe monuments can be overlooked, others think art can sometimes spread unfair ideas.

Wilson is known for "mining the museum." This means he looks for objects in museums and puts them in new settings. This makes people question how history and art are usually presented. He spent time in Indianapolis in 1993 and saw many monuments. This inspired his idea for E Pluribus Unum. This was the first time he "mined" a city's monuments for a public artwork.

The Peace Group Sculpture

Detail of the west facade of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument known as the Peace group (around 1904)

The original figure that inspired E Pluribus Unum is part of a large sculpture called the Peace group. This group was designed by Herman Matzen and carved by Rudolph Schwarz. In the middle of the Peace group is a female figure called "Liberty" or "Angel of Peace." She holds a shield and a flag. On the shield are the words E pluribus unum. This is where Wilson got the name for his artwork. For Wilson, this phrase also connected to Africa and people of African descent around the world.

The Peace group also includes a blacksmith, representing industry, and a pile of wheat, representing farming. There are also soldiers returning home. At the feet of the "Angel of Peace" sits the freed African American male figure. This figure is shown kneeling and holding broken chains. In the 1800s, after the Civil War, many artworks showed formerly enslaved people in this way. They often looked up at their liberators, which made it seem like their freedom was a gift from others. This often overlooked the efforts and sacrifices African Americans made to gain their freedom.

Indianapolis Cultural Trail

The Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) asked for E Pluribus Unum to be part of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. The Cultural Trail is a large project, costing $63 million. It's a path for walking and biking that connects five cultural areas in Indianapolis. About $2 million was set aside for new public art along this trail.

About the Artist

Fred Wilson is a very respected artist. He received a special award called the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant in 1999. He also represented the United States at important art shows in Cairo (1992) and Venice (2003).

Wilson's art makes people think about how art and objects are usually shown in museums. He uses new labels, sounds, lights, and unusual pairings of objects. This helps viewers see that changing the setting of an object changes its meaning. Wilson wants people to question how cultural places have shaped our understanding of history and art. He describes his background as "African, Native American, European and Amerindian."

Making the Sculpture

In 2009, the African American figure on the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument was scanned with a laser. This created a 3D computer image. This digital model was then used to guide a stone-cutting machine. The machine would make a rough shape of the sculpture from Indiana limestone. This type of stone was chosen because it was used in many buildings in Indianapolis in the late 1800s. It also shows the state's natural history. After the machine cut the stone, an artist would add the finer details to the sculpture.

Fred Wilson's special flag was also going to be made by professional flag makers. The company that made the flagpole for the famous Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial) was also going to make the flagpole for E Pluribus Unum.

Talking to the Public

Fred Wilson often includes public dialogue in his art projects. He likes to work on projects that connect to the history of a place. He talks with the community to make sure his art has meaning for them. For E Pluribus Unum, Wilson wanted to encourage research about the African American experience in Indianapolis. He also wanted to talk to the public to share information and start conversations.

Several public discussions happened in 2009 and 2010. Wilson first introduced the project in February 2009 at the historic Madame Walker Theatre. He showed a digital picture of E Pluribus Unum to students and community members. He returned in 2010 for more public talks.

In September 2010, more people started to speak out against the artwork. Another meeting was held in October. At this point, the discussions became more heated and even gained national attention from art critics. Wilson explained that talking about art in a big city is different from talking in a museum. He was happy that people were engaging and talking about the art, even if it was controversial.

What Happened to the Project

Work on E Pluribus Unum was stopped in October 2010. At that time, Fred Wilson had been paid $51,000 out of his total fee of $325,000. In January 2011, the sculpture project received a $50,000 grant from the Joyce Foundation. This grant helps support art projects by artists of color in major Midwestern United States cities. The money was meant to help pay Wilson and fund public discussions about the artwork. However, if the sculpture was not created, the grant money had to be returned.

In December 2011, the Central Indiana Community Foundation announced that the project was officially canceled.