View Proposals for Freedmen's Cemetery, Meet the Artists

Freedmen's Cemetery in Alexandria soon will be graced with a new sculpture and the public is invited to meet three finalists who have submitted design proposals for the artwork.

The goal of the $350,000 bronze sculpture is to educate visitors to the cemetery about the courageous struggles of the thousands of contrabands and freedmen who sought refuge in Alexandria during the Civil War.

The funds for the artwork come from the Woodrow Wilson Bridge settlement agreement between the city, the Federal Highway Administration and the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The public can meet the artists and view the proposals at a reception on July 7 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at . The finalists are Erik Blome of Crystal Lake, Ill.; Mario Chiodo of Oakland, Calif., and Edward Dwight of Denver.

Beginning July 9, the proposals will be on display in the lobby of . The public may offer written comments at the display or email comments to aca@alexandriava.gov through Aug. 6.

The three finalists emerged from a pool of applicants from 19 states and three countries who responded to a “Call to Artists.”

The artists were selected by a panel of stakeholders including representatives of the Friends of Freedmen’s Cemetery, descendant family members, Old Town/Hunting Creek Civic Association, Society for the Preservation of Black Heritage, Alexandria Historical Society, Public Art Committee and other experts.

Following a month-long display of the proposals, a selection panel will consider the public comments and make a recommendation to the Alexandria Commission for the Arts and City Council. The winning artist will be announced in September. The sculpture will be installed in spring 2013 at the cemetery, located at 1001 S. Washington St.