{"id":1412293,"date":"2026-01-19T11:00:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T08:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1412293"},"modified":"2026-01-19T11:00:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T08:00:19","slug":"martin-luther-king-jr-in-art-and-memory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1412293","title":{"rendered":"Martin Luther King Jr. in Art and Memory"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"gh-article post tag-daily-newsletter tag-newsletter no-image\">\n<header class=\"gh-article-header gh-canvas\">\n<p>                Daily Newsletter<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"gh-article-title is-title\">Martin Luther King Jr. in Art and Memory<\/h1>\n<p class=\"gh-article-excerpt is-body\">Revisiting a 40-year-old mural of the civil rights leader, John Yau on the paintings of John Wilson, and a perspective from a former educator at the California College of the Arts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta\">\n<div class=\"gh-article-author-image instapaper_ignore\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-profile-image\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/hyperallergic-favicon-d-blank-r-g-s-500-5.png\" alt=\"Hyperallergic\" title=\"hyperallergic-favicon-d-blank-r-g-s-500-5\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-wrapper\">\n<h4 class=\"gh-article-author-name\">Hyperallergic<\/h4>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-content\"><time class=\"gh-article-meta-date\" datetime=\"2026-01-19\">January 19, 2026<\/time><span class=\"gh-article-meta-length\"><span class=\"bull\">\u2014<\/span> 4 min read<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"gh-content gh-canvas is-body\">\n<p>Good morning. Like the freedoms we often take for granted, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was hard-won. The designation of the third Monday in January as an official holiday commemorating the legacy of this momentous civil rights leader came after a 15-year battle waged by activists and grassroots groups who, despite pushback from Congress, refused to back down. They knew that there was something powerful about coming together to reflect on the lessons Dr. King left us, and that inscribing a dedicated day in the federal calendar was a way of agreeing, collectively, that he cannot be forgotten.<\/p>\n<p>Today, <em>Hyperallergic<\/em> celebrates Dr. King&#8217;s outsized contributions as well as the labor and perseverance of those who ensured his remembrance. Writer Nicole L. Schaller revisits Don Miller&#8217;s 56-by-7-foot mural at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC, on the occasion of the work&#8217;s 40th anniversary, and speaks to local public artists for whom the piece continues to resonate. Here in NYC, Staff Writer Isa Farfan rounds up local cultural events marking the holiday. My favorite: a fabric collage workshop in honor of King and Gee&#8217;s Bend quilters at Wave Hill.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2014 Valentina Di Liscia, senior editor<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/dcpl_archives_0010-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" title=\"dcpl_archives_0010-1\"><figcaption><span>Installation of Martin Luther King Jr. Mural inside Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (photo courtesy The People&#8217;s Archive, DC Public Library)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"40-years-on-dc-artists-revisit-don-millers-mlk-mural\">40 Years On, DC Artists Revisit Don Miller&#8217;s MLK Mural<\/h3>\n<p>Since 1986, the 56-foot painting at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library has served as a visual portal into the civil rights leader\u2019s life and legacy. | Nicole L. Schaller<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"five-art-and-museum-events-for-mlk-day-in-nyc\">Five Art and Museum Events for MLK Day in NYC<\/h3>\n<p>Special collection tours at the Studio Museum in Harlem, Mayor Zohran Mamdani in a live reading of one of King&#8217;s sermons, and other programs. | Isa Farfan<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/salt-tapestrystudio.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x675\" title=\"salt-tapestrystudio\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>We\u2019ve Been at the Tapestry Studio Since the 90s<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>This exhibition at Salt explores the Tapestry Studio\u2019s approach to art education and production.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-our-critics\">From Our Critics<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/martin-luther-king-jr.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2241\" title=\"martin-luther-king-jr\"><figcaption><span>John Wilson and James Stroud, Center Street Studio, &#8220;Martin Luther King Jr.&#8221; (2002), etching and aquatint on chine colle\u0301; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (courtesy the Estate of John Wilson)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"john-wilson%E2%80%99s-relentlessly-humane-vision-of-black-life\">John Wilson\u2019s Relentlessly Humane Vision of Black Life<\/h3>\n<p>He portrayed the gamut of the Black experience, making visible a sense of deep isolation as well as pride, family, and community. | John Yau<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"a-view-from-san-francisco\">A View From San Francisco<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-1369478554-1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"San Francisco's Tech Billionaires Don't Care About Your Art School\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" title=\"gettyimages-1369478554-1-1\"><figcaption><span>California College of the Arts staff strike in protest on February 8, 2022. (photo by Bront\u00eb Wittpenn\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">San Francisco Chronicle <\/em><\/i><span>via Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"san-franciscos-tech-billionaires-dont-care-about-your-art-school\"><u>San Francisco&#8217;s Tech Billionaires Don&#8217;t Care About Your Art School<\/u><\/h3>\n<p>News of the abrupt closure of the California College of the Arts (CCA) and its acquisition by Vanderbilt University sent shockwaves through the Bay Area community. But we shouldn&#8217;t be surprised that San Francisco&#8217;s tech titans didn&#8217;t step in to save it, writes Christian L. Frock: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The loss of CCA should be considered in relation to staggering wealth disparities and lack of social investment, primarily perpetuated by the technology sector, much of which has tight alliances with today\u2019s leadership in Washington, DC. The indifference of wealth that has long-vexed San Francisco is now a systemic threat to the national ecosystem.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3 id=\"what-to-see-during-san-francisco-art-week\">What to See During San Francisco Art Week<\/h3>\n<p>Despite recent closures in San Francisco\u2019s art world, there&#8217;s been a mushrooming of alternative spaces, side hustles, home galleries, and nonprofits. Veteran Bay Area curator and writer Natasha Boas recommends the best shows to see during\u00a0this year&#8217;s San Francisco Art Week.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"member-comment\">Member Comment<\/h2>\n<p>Jozanne Rabyor on &#8220;How to Protect Your Right to Culture&#8221; by Anna Kornbluh:<\/p>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\n<div class=\"kg-callout-text\">Brava! Bravo! Thanks for this informative and inspiring message. After reading it, I sent a donation to my local art museum, bought tickets to a live performance (dance in this case), and wrote to my Congresswoman in my purple district urging her to do whatever she can to support the arts and culture \u2013 on individual and collective levels \u2013 specifying several organizations you name in your piece and others. I asked her to stand up for our rights of speech and assembly. Thanks for the push!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-the-archive\">From the Archive<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-60-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" title=\"image-60-1\"><figcaption><span>The March on Washington as seen in <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">MLK\/FBI<\/em><\/i><span> (2020), dir. Sam Pollard (courtesy IFC Films)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"bringing-the-fbis-war-on-martin-luther-king-jr-to-light\">Bringing the FBI&#8217;s War on Martin Luther King Jr. to Light<\/h3>\n<p>Filmmaker Sam Pollard talks to <em>Hyperallergic<\/em> about his documentary <em>MLK\/FBI<\/em>, how history repeats, and how authorities treat left- and right-wing protests differently. | Dan Schindel<\/p>\n<hr>\n<ul class=\"post-tags\">\n<li>\n                        Daily Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<li>\n                        Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/nycedc-habg-rfp2025-hyperallergicannouncementad-1-6.jpg\" alt=\"Request for Proposals: Operator for the Harlem African Burial Ground Cultural Education Center\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"nycedc-habg-rfp2025-hyperallergicannouncementad-1-6\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">Request for Proposals: Operator for the Harlem African Burial Ground Cultural Education Center<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Learn about this opportunity to develop a cultural education center at the historic East Harlem site during informational sessions in January and February.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/madsen_maud_playthegame-1-5.jpeg\" alt=\"New York Academy of Art Presents \u201cChubb Fellows &amp; Friends\u201d\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"madsen_maud_playthegame-1-5\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">New York Academy of Art Presents \u201cChubb Fellows &amp; Friends\u201d<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Featuring past fellows alongside a broader circle of artists linked to the Academy, the show brings together work by Danica Lundy, Dana Schutz, Tschabalala Self, Amy Sherald, and more.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">New York Academy of Art<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/for_which_it_stands-5.png\" alt=\"For Which It Stands\u2026\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"for_which_it_stands-5\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">For Which It Stands\u2026<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States, this major loan exhibition at the Fairfield University Art Museum explores more than a century of artists taking on the American flag.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">Fairfield University Art Museum<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2025_07_10_argenis_apolinario_sva_mfa_install_0463-5.jpg\" alt=\"Grow as an Artist Without Pressing Pause: SVA\u2019s Online MFA Art Practice\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"2025_07_10_argenis_apolinario_sva_mfa_install_0463-5\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">Grow as an Artist Without Pressing Pause: SVA\u2019s Online MFA Art Practice<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Interdisciplinary, online, and connected to New York\u2019s art ecosystem. Applications are due on January 15.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">School of Visual Arts (SVA)<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p> Source URL: https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/martin-luther-king-jr-in-art-and-memory\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daily Newsletter Martin Luther King Jr. in Art and Memory Revisiting a 40-year-old mural of the civil rights leader, John Yau on the paintings of John Wilson, and a perspective from a former educator at the California College of the Arts. Hyperallergic January 19, 2026\u2014 4 min read Good morning. Like the freedoms we often [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[69],"class_list":["post-1412293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-hyperallergic-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1412293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1412293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1412293\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1412293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1412293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1412293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}