Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, (sculpture).

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, (sculpture).

Barrett, Derrick, sculptor.

Tempesta, Luigi, carver.

New Britain Monumental Works, fabricator.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, (sculpture).

1977.; Dedicated July 11, 1977.

Digital Reference:

Granite on a granite base.

Sculpture: approx. 6 x 5 x 2 ft.; Base: approx. 1 x 6 x 3 ft.

(Plaque lower rear:) New Britain Monumental Works/Tel 4-1833/123 Oak St. New Britain, Conn. (Base front:) I HAVE A DREAM/DOCTOR/MARTIN LUTHER/KING JR./1929-1968 (Proper right flanking wing:) WE HAVE INHERITED A LARGE/HOUSE. A GREAT WORLD/HOUSE IN WHICH WE HAVE/TO LIVE TOGETHER * BLACK/AND WHITE, EASTERNER AND/WESTERNER, GENTILE AND/JEW, CATHOLIC AND PROT-/ESTANT, MOSLEM AND HINDU./A FAMILY UNDULY SEPARAT-/ED IN IDEAS, CULTURE AND/INTEREST, WHO BECAUSE/WE CAN NEVER AGAIN LIVE/APART, MUST SOMEHOW/LEARN TO LIVE WITH EACH/OTHER IN PEACE. (Proper left flanking wing:) NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE/REAL THE PROMISES OF/DEMOCRACY. NOW IS THE/TIME TO RISE FROM THE/DARK AND DESOLATE VALLEY/OF SEGREGATION TO THE/SUNLIT PATH OF RACIAL/JUSTICE. NOW IS THE TIME/TO LIFT OUR NATION FROM/THE QUICKSANDS OF/RACIAL INJUSTICE TO/THE SOLID ROCK OF/BROTHERHOOD. (Base rear:) DONATED TO THE CITY OF NEW BRITAIN/BY HER CITIZENS AND FRIENDS, SPEARHEADED/BY THE MARY MACLEOD BETHUNE CLUB, INC. AND/MARTIN LUTHER KING MONUMENT COMMITTEE/JULY 10, 1977 unsigned Founder's mark appears.

An upright, black granite, rectangular block, with lower flanking wings of light granite. The central block it topped with a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. His head is angled slightly to the proper left, and his mouth is open as if in mid-sentence. He is dressed in a jacket and tie. Carvings on the upper third of the side wings depict scenes from King's life. On the proper right side is a scene of King speaking to a multi-racial audience, and on the proper left side is a scene of King at the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C.

Portrait male -- King, Martin Luther, Jr. -- Bust

History -- United States -- Civil Rights Movement

Occupation -- Other -- Reformer

Ethnic -- African American

Outdoor Sculpture -- Connecticut -- New Britain

Administered by City of New Britain, Department of Parks and Recreation, 27 West Main Street, New Britain, Connecticut 06051

Located Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Stanley Street, New Britain, Connecticut

Formerly located East Main Street & Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, New Britain, Connecticut 1977-1993.

The primary artist of the piece was Derrick Barrett. Luigi Tempesta was the carver and New Britain Monumental Works was the fabricator. The monument was a gift of the Mary Macleod Bethune Club of New Britain. Within a year of its erection, the monument had suffered 1,000 dollars worth of damage. In 1993 it was moved from East Main street in a small traffic triangle to Stanley Street in Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Connecticut survey, 1994.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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