Show-Me State Times

The Kranzberg Arts Foundation, in collaboration with Saint Louis University and the St. Louis Literary Award program, has announced a new mural by artist Dominic Chambers. Scheduled for completion in April 2025, the mural is set to be featured on the Walls Off Washington at Saint Louis University's Searls Hall. The artwork explores the legacy of the Underground Railroad and emphasizes its historical significance in Missouri and the St. Louis region.

This initiative is linked to the 2025 St. Louis Literary Award, which will honor Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead. Whitehead's novel, "The Underground Railroad," serves as inspiration for Chambers' mural, facilitating a dialogue among literature, history, and public art. The collaboration aims to integrate the arts, education, and historical reflection, encouraging meaningful community engagement.

The project seeks to illuminate St. Louis' historical connections to the Underground Railroad, offering a space for reflection and learning. Through a partnership with Saint Louis University, educators, students, and the public will have opportunities to engage with the mural and related programming, including discussions on art, history, and literature.

Chambers will participate in a public panel discussion on art, history, and literature on Monday, April 7, at SLU's Pius XII Memorial Library. Hosted by Saint Louis University's Visual and Performing Arts Department, Art History program, St. Louis Literary Award Programs, and the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, the discussion will feature Chambers and historian Dorris Keeven-Franke. Keeven-Franke is an expert on Missouri's Underground Railroad history and Executive Director of the Missouri Germans Consortium.

Dominic Chambers, born in St. Louis and now residing in New Haven, Connecticut, is known for his vibrant paintings that blend art historical models and contemporary issues surrounding race and identity. Chambers has cited influences such as Magical Realism and the writings of W.E.B. Du Bois, Ralph Ellison, and James Baldwin. He received his B.F.A. from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design in 2016 and his M.F.A. from Yale University School of Art in 2019. In 2023, Chambers was featured in a solo exhibition at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.

Gina Grafos, Chief Curator and Director of Visual & Literary Art at Kranzberg Arts Foundation, stated, "We are honored and overjoyed to welcome Dominic Chambers home to St. Louis for this significant public art project. Dominic’s work eloquently intertwines history, memory, and storytelling to create a dialogue that resonates deeply with our region. His new mural, 'For You: All the Color in the World,' draws on multifarious art historical influences and the transformative concept of the veil—a metaphor that invites us to reimagine the inner landscape of our shared experiences. His return is not only a celebration of his extraordinary artistic practice but also a powerful tribute to the vibrant narratives that shape our past and inspire our future. We could not imagine a more fitting artist to bring this vision to life."