PHILADELPHIA — Mayor Jim Kenney and the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy have withdrawn the $500,000 no-bid commission for a new Harriet Tubman statue and will now open the process for other artists.
A statement from the Creative Philly office released Tuesday afternoon said city officials have heard the public outcry against awarding the commission to Wesley Wofford, a white artist from North Carolina, after he brought a traveling version of his statue, Journey to Freedom, to the city earlier this year.
The Creative Philly statement came four days after The Inquirer reported on Aug. 26 that seven City Council members had sent a letter to Creative Philly to say they agreed with community advocates calling for a more open process.
