#Wisconsin In Process

Since September 2019 I have been working on a monumental sculpture project! I am recreating the sculpture on the dome of the capital building in Madison. Since 1914 this sculpture has been at the center of the community both physically and culturally. Due to a law passed in 1990, no other building in Madison can be built taller than the dome of the Capital, and the dome, as well as the golden woman "Wisconsin" standing at the top, can still be seen from miles away.

I am recreating this cultural symbol of my native city and state using my little sister Sophia as the model. When observing allegorical statues around the country, black and brown bodies are never used when representing cities, states, or ideas such as virtue, freedom, or justice.  The white marble statues of antiquity have translated into the elevation of white bodies today. But what happens when someone who looks like me is elevated to a place where they don't just represent their own race but our whole community?  My relationship with my home town and this statue is complicated by my love for and simultaneous alienation from who is being represented there. Instead of waiting for representation to come to Wisconsin I have decided to create it for myself. This statue has been a labor of love for my state, my sister and my family.

 As we move “Forward” we need to look to our new leadership, new institutions, and new symbols that point to a more equitable and just community. I hope that #Wisconsin can be one of those symbols for my community in Wisconsin.

Photos of 2020 Uprising

I was honored to be featured in WHYY’s Movers and Makers docuseries on Feb 4th, 2021. The episode titled “Black Image Makers” also featured John E. Dowell and Jack T. Franklin. Above is my section of the episode but you can find the full episode here. In the episode I am interviewed about my work covering the BLM protests and uprising threw the summer of 2020 in Philadelphia.

Stay Golden Mural 2020

The Stay Golden mural was organized and designed by Gerald Brown, Roberto Lugo, and Isaac Scott. The purpose of the mural is to activate the community in Strawberry Mansion, reflect on the radical energy in the city and around the country, and commemorate the powerful spirit of Black and Brown people. The words “Stay Golden” is reflective of a common usage of the color gold in African Diasporic communities. It is a unifying color among Black and Brown people and it speaks to the resilience of our people through adversity. The Stay Golden mural is located at 33rd and Diamond St in Philadelphia, PA.

Design by: Gerald Adivah Brown, Isaac Scott, & Roberto Lugo

Mural Painting Crew: Gerald Adivah Brown, Isaac Scott, Lloyd-Princeton Cangé, Cameron Jarvis, Serena Hocharoen, Chelsey Luster, Ana Caribú, Marc Williams, Dominick C. Tillery, David McShane

Sponsor: Mural Arts Philadelphia

Special Thanks: Dominique Tillery, Julia Choseed, Cristina Keiffer

New Genesis - Short Film, 2015