Feb. 21, 2012—The Corporation has selected acclaimed African American sculptor Martin Puryear to create a memorial to slavery on the University campus. Puryear, who received a National Medal of Arts in February, creates abstract works that meld modernist geometry with craft traditions such as woodworking and basketry. His work will ultimately be placed  between Hope College and Carrie Tower, near University Hall, one of the most prominent spots on Campus, especially during Convocation and Commencement. In October of 2006, a committee looking into Brown's early ties to the slave industry recommended the University construct a memorial to slavery that would be a “living site of memory, inviting reflection and fresh discovery without provoking paralysis or shame.”

A video highlighting some of Puryear's work:

Watch Time on PBS. See more from ART:21.