Article 21

ADVISORY COMMITTEE’S RECOMMENDATION

SUMMARY: Article 21 is a resolution would recognize the work of John Wilson, an artist who lived in Brookline for more than half a century. In addition to calling attention to John Wilson’s life and work, the resolution supports the installation in Town Hall of his sculpture of the head of Martin Luther King, Jr. The Advisory Committee unanimously agreed that acquiring and exhibiting the bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. would be a wonderful way to honor John Wilson and thus recommends FAVORABLE ACTION.

BACKGROUND: John Wilson was born in Roxbury in 1922 and lived in Brookline from 1964 until his death in 2015. His wife and daughter still live here. He was chosen to create the bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. that stands in the rotunda of the United States Capitol. As the petitioners explain, John Wilson is a nationally celebrated artist, and his work is exhibited in many major museums. (Some of his prints have been on exhibit recently at the Museum of Fine Arts).

In addition to the bust of Dr. King at the Capitol, Mr. Wilson had other major commissions for sculptures–one, the seven- foot-high Eternal Presence at the National Center for Afro- American Artists in Roxbury, and an eight-foot sculpture of the head of Dr. King in the Marin Luther King, Jr. Park in Buffalo.

This past spring, after learning that a 30-inch bronze maquette (artist’s preliminary model or study) for the 8-foot Martin Luther King, Jr. head was available at a local gallery, a group of Brookline residents representing diverse backgrounds came together and decided to raise the funds to purchase it and offer it as a gift to the Town. (See photo.) The bust would be purchased with privately-raised funds, and several pledges have been gathered toward the $97,000 purchase price ($95,000 for the sculpture and $2,000 for the Figure 1: 30-inch bronze maquette of Martin base, which is a discounted offer arranged with the gallery Luther King by John Wilson and the Wilson family).

The petitioners seek a resolution to honor John Wilson by placing the 30-inch study in the lobby of Town Hall, and by asking the School Committee to include the story of John Wilson in its curriculum where appropriate.

DISCUSSION: The Selectmen have enthusiastically endorsed the idea of exhibiting the bust as proposed. The petitioners explained that the Town would carry insurance on the bust, and they assured the Advisory Committee subcommittee that the 30-inch bronze sculpture, which would be securely

1 fastened to its base and then to the floor, would be unlikely to be casually stolen.

The Article as submitted did not make it clear that the proposed acquisition is a study of the Buffalo sculpture, not the one in the Capitol rotunda, and the petitioners subsequently agreed that the language should be amended to clarify that point. The question was raised as to how many copies were extant, and how many copies could be made if the mold still exists. There are 12 copies, and the one the petitioners want to purchase is number 2. No further copies can be made, as the mold is no longer extant.

RECOMMENDATION: By a vote of 25 to 0, with no abstentions, the Advisory Committee recommends FAVORABLE ACTION on the following motion under Article 21(changes from the original Article as it appears in the Warrant are shown in bold type):

VOTED: That the Town adopt the following resolution:

A Resolution to Honor John Wilson

WHEREAS, John W. Wilson (1922–2015) was a nationally celebrated artist whose work is included in many major museums, and graces several public spaces around the country, including the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol;

WHEREAS, born in Roxbury to recent immigrants from British Guiana (now Guyana), he showed superior artistic talent at an early age and despite racial barriers, he received a scholarship to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, graduating with highest honors;

WHEREAS, he went on to study education at Tufts University graduating in 1947 with a bachelor’s degree, and art in France and Mexico before joining the faculty of Boston University and rising to full professor;

WHEREAS, he studied under the modern artist Fernand Legeŕ in Paris and Karl Zerbe at the Museum School in Boston, and was part of a group that later became known as Boston Expressionists;

WHEREAS, John Wilson and his family, despite initially encountering racial bias finding a home, lived in Brookline for more than 50 years;

WHEREAS, John Wilson’s work embodies the emotion and perspective of life as a black man—a view rarely expressed in mainstream American art at that time;

WHEREAS, John Wilson’s magnificent, monumental bronze sculpture of the head of Martin Luther King, Jr. (1983), installed in Martin Luther King, Jr., Park, Buffalo, New York, evokes the great leader’s inspiration; and

WHEREAS, a 30-inch tall bronze study for that masterpiece recently became available; and

2 WHEREAS, a group of engaged Brookline citizens think that it is fitting that, just as our nation’s Capitol Rotunda features a work by John Wilson, so too should Town Hall, the center of our local government, have an inspirational sculpture by same artist, an artist who lived his life just a few blocks away.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, that Town Meeting call upon the people of Brookline to honor the life and legacy of longtime Brookline resident John Wilson;

RESOLVED, that Town Meeting, representing the people of the Town of Brookline, honor John Wilson by supporting the installation of his sculpture of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Town Hall lobby; and

RESOLVED, that Town Meeting encourage the School Committee to include the art and story of John Wilson where appropriate in its curriculum.

3