Mechanics Hall unveils portraits of 4 prominent Black Americans

Rick Cinclair, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
·1 min read
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New portrait of Frederick Douglass and William and Martha Brown hang inside Mechanics Hall on Thursday.
New portrait of Frederick Douglass and William and Martha Brown hang inside Mechanics Hall on Thursday.
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WORCESTER — The Portrait Project at Mechanics Hall was unveiled Thursday evening, revealing images of impactful 19th-century Black Americans: Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and William and Martha Brown.

They are the first portraits of Black Americans to grace the historic hall, which was constructed in 1857.

Imo Nse Imeh of Holyoke, a visual artist and scholar of African Diaspora, painted the portrait of Douglass.

Manu Saluja of Long Island painted the portrait of Truth, and Brenda Zlamany of Brooklyn painted William and Martha Brown.

The six-month artist-selection process was coordinated by Gloria D. Hall, a Worcester-based preservationist and public art administrator.

More: Painting history: Mechanics Hall readies new portraits of four 19th century Black leaders

The new portrait of Sojourner Truth, by artist Manu Saluja.
The new portrait of Sojourner Truth, by artist Manu Saluja.
The new portrait of Frederick Douglass, by artist Imo Nse Imeh.
The new portrait of Frederick Douglass, by artist Imo Nse Imeh.
The new portrait of Worcester business owners and abolitionists William and Martha Brown, by artist Brenda Zlamany.
The new portrait of Worcester business owners and abolitionists William and Martha Brown, by artist Brenda Zlamany.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Portraits of abolitionists unveiled in Mechanics Hall in Worcester