|
“Escaping on the Master's Horse"
painted by Jonathon Matas in 2010. |
|
When the sun come up and the first quail calls,
Follow the Drinkin' Gourd
For the old man's waiting for to carry you to freedom
If you follow the Drinkin' Gourd
Follow the Drinkin' Gourd
For the old man's waiting for to carry you to freedom
If you follow the Drinkin' Gourd
The Original 2010 Announcement for the Blank Wall on Green St.
|
|
|
Jonathan's Proposal
Jonathan Matas was one of 8 artists who entered proposals for the wall on Green St. Here is his original sketch for the mural emailed to the Public Art Commission on March 17, 2010.
This sketch includes John Brown and Harriet Tubman, but Jonathan switched in Frederick Douglass inspired by his closer connection to Ithaca. |
|
|
|
|
|
This mural commemorates Ithaca’s honorable history as an important site in the Underground Railroad. Enslaved Africans, escaping North to Freedom stopped in Tompkins County on their way to Rochester, where Frederick Douglas and others would arrange for their trip to Canada.
A stylized waterfall is central in the mural, loosely placing the scene in Ithaca... and above it the “Drinking Gourd” in a starry aqua/teal night sky. These stars, commonly referred to today as the Big Dipper, were used as a guide on refugees’ journey North.
2010 mural possible with help from the Downtown Ithaca Alliance and the Public Art Commission of the City of Ithaca.
|
More about Jonathan Matas:
|