Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most important Americans in history. The civil rights leader helped improve the lives of millions of people of color. The United States honors Dr. King with a holiday each January. And countless artists have celebrated him through their art.
All kinds of artwork honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr. There are paintings, pictures, and poems. Some artists used songs or sculptures. Others drew King using stone, chalk, and Lego!
One famous artwork of King is at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Lei Yixin carved a statue into a block of granite. This 30-foot (9-m) sculpture, called the “Stone of Hope,” opened in 2011. It’s in Washington, D.C., where King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963.
Many cities feature statues of King. Several stand in the city where he was born — Atlanta, Georgia. Martin Dawe designed one for the Georgia State Capitol. It was here on August 28, 2017. Basil Watson’s sculpture, “Hope Moving Forward,” opened in 2021. Atlanta added a new statue of Dr. King in 2023.
Desiree Kelly created a King in Bowie, Maryland. “It represents unity of the city,” she told News-O-Matic. Kelly added King’s words that he wrote from jail in 1963. Her art says: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Artists have honored King all around the world. That includes Alexandra Andreica from Romania. She said she made her painting because of King’s “determination to his dream.” And she called King “a source of hope and a powerful reminder of the positive impact one individual can have.” The artist hopes her work inspires others “to pursue their dreams.”
Westminster Abbey holds a famous artwork of King in London, England. Tim Crawley designed the sculpture for the church. He told News-O-Matic that the figures “gave their lives for others and for their belief in the Christian values of love and forgiveness.” He placed King at the center of the artwork, called “Modern Martyrs.” And he added: “A little girl sits at his feet and under his protection.”
King knew he would likely be killed for his work. That happened in 1968. Yet “he refused to be ,” said Crawley. “And he fearlessly defended the rights of all.”
Updated January 12, 2024, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
