Kamala Harris Mural by Renowned Artist Shepard Fairey Unveiled at Ella West Gallery 

DURHAM, NC – Ella West Gallery, located in the historic Black Wall Street area of downtown Durham, is now home to a vibrant new mural featuring Vice President Kamala Harris. The mural, created by Shepard Fairey, the artist behind the iconic “HOPE” poster from President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, is part of a nationwide grassroots “artivism” initiative. The artwork, depicted in red, white, and blue, carries the message “FORWARD,” reflecting Harris’s emphasis on progress and her campaign’s slogan, “We are not going back.”

The mural was installed by Thursday morning (Oct. 17) at the corner of Parrish and Orange Streets, and its unveiling was marked with a community celebration hosted by Ella West Gallery. To coincide with the first day of early voting, the event featured music, dancing, refreshments, and a postcard station where attendees could send messages encouraging voter participation. Visitors were also able to take photos with the mural and receive free limited-edition posters or stickers of the artwork by showing an early voting sticker or pledging to volunteer before Election Day.

The mural is one of five installations across the U.S., conceived through a partnership between Fairey and Raleigh native Wyatt Closs, whose Los Angeles-based company Big Bowl of Ideas helped organize the campaign. The collaboration between Closs and Ella West Gallery founder Linda Shropshire was years in the making, dating back to their connection at a middle school student government camp at Mars Hill College in Western North Carolina. Shropshire proposed the mural’s Durham location due to the gallery’s ties to the community and its recent history of hosting Vice President Harris during a March 2024 visit.

Ella West Gallery, which opened in August 2023, has quickly established itself as a cultural hub in Durham. Under the leadership of founder Linda Shropshire, the gallery aims to uplift underrepresented voices in the art world, focusing on female, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ artists. Shropshire, a seasoned professional with experience in corporate social responsibility and human rights, brings her passion for both art and social impact to her work. She continues to advocate for inclusive representation through her roles at the North Carolina Museum of Art and the Black Trustee Alliance for Art Museums.

For more information, visit www.ellawestgallery.com or call (919) 485-9602.

Photo credit: Wyatt Closs