Incredible 32ft Crocheted Harriet Tubman Mural Kicks Off Olek’s Latest Endeavor, ‘Love Across the USA’
The first in a new series from Olek, this incredible 32ft mural recognizes American abolitionist Harriet Tubman, a former slave who became the first woman in American military history to conduct an armed raid which rescued more than 750 slaves from plantations along the Combahee River in South Carolina.
More than 150 volunteers crocheted 2-foot-by-2-foot squares and once each piece was finished, Olek combined them to create the massive mural which now hangs outside Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, New York. Auburn is the same town where Tubman lived for over 50 years and is the future site of the Harriet Tubman National Historic Park.
“The Harriet Tubman installation is just one part of a much larger project Olek is spearheading called ‘Love Across the USA’ that includes similar large-scale yarn creations dedicated to ‘strong female figures’ across the country. Her plan is to install one creation in each of the 50 states by 2020.”
Read more about the community-made mural via Smithsonian Magazine and be sure to follow the progress of Olek’s amazing “Love Across the USA” project here.