Hank Willis Thomas Commission

The year 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the powerful and community-changing public response that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. While demonstrations occurred throughout the country, Wilmington suffered the longest occupation by the National Guard in United States history. The divisions created by the civil disturbance and aftermath of the military force’s nine-month-long occupation left an indelible mark on the community.

The Delaware Art Museum is commissioning a project by New York-based artist Hank Willis Thomas. Utilizing images from popular culture and advertising, Thomas explores identity, history, and the actions motivating contemporary society. His combines mixed media, sculpture, and photography-based approaches to address race, gender, and class. Thomas will interpret and employ photographs of the 1968 demonstrations and National Guard occupation taken by Wilmington News Journal staff for the creation of a new work of art.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website