vanessa german

A rendering of “Of Thee We Sing,” Pittsburgh-based artist vanessa german’s tribute to opera singer Marian Anderson on the National Mall in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Anderson was originally scheduled to perform at Constitution Hall, but segregationists got the show cancelled. She was quickly recruited to deliver a 1939 Easter Sunday performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that became a milestone in civil rights history. german’s piece is part of the “Beyond Granite: Pulling Together” exhibit at the National Mall from Aug. 18 to Sept. 18. Tony Norman is working on the story now. Please hold this until next week.