A major new art installation at the Obama Presidential Center will place the beauty, resilience, and cultural power of Black women at its center.
The installation will reinforce the landmark institution’s commitment to honoring Black history through art, architecture, and civic storytelling.
Renowned artist and curator Theaster Gates has been commissioned to create a permanent installation for the nearly 20-acre campus, which is set to open on Chicago’s South Side in spring 2026. The work will focus on Black women and everyday life, drawing heavily from the historic archives of the Johnson Publishing Company, the iconic Black-owned media house behind Ebony and Jet magazines.
In a promotional video released by the Obama Foundation, Gates described the project as both an honor and a responsibility.
“I will focus on Black women. And those will kind of demonstrate the ways in which Black folk have contributed to the political, social and economic fabric of our country,” Gates said.
The installation will take the form of a long, two-part frieze, featuring archival images printed on aluminum alloy. It will be housed in the Hadiya Pendleton Atrium inside the Forum Building, a space named in memory of the Chicago teenager who marched in President Barack Obama’s second inauguration parade before her life was cut short by gun violence.
Known for transforming everyday materials and historic archives into powerful visual narratives, Gates has built an international reputation for elevating Black cultural memory. His work frequently centers community, labor, and collective identity—elements that will be central to this installation’s focus on Black women’s lived experiences and contributions.
The Obama Foundation says the artwork aligns with its broader mission to integrate art throughout the Presidential Center’s public spaces. The center will include a museum, library, education and community spaces, and will commemorate the historic presidency of Barack Obama while serving as a civic hub for dialogue and creativity.
A Chicago native, Gates is also the founder of the Rebuild Foundation, which supports neighborhood-driven cultural development through projects like the Stony Island Arts Bank and the Dorchester Art + Housing Collaborative. His commission at the Obama Presidential Center continues his lifelong commitment to blending art, history, and architecture in ways that uplift Black communities.
By centering Black women within a national presidential landmark, the installation not only honors their beauty and strength but also cements their role as foundational contributors to American life—past, present, and future.
