National Mural Series Highlights Suffrage Leaders in NYC and Portland

Public art initiative features a national display of the prominent suffrage trailblazers across our country.

New York City, NY, Oct. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Michelle Duster and Neysa Page-Lieberman, Co-Directors of the National Suffrage Mural Series for Monumenta are producing large-scale murals in U.S. cities to commemorate women's suffrage–the largest civil rights activism in the nation’s history which affected over half the population. Each mural features about a dozen brave women who represent the diversity of those who fought for women’s rights to full citizenship as voters in the U.S. democracy. The commissioned public artworks will feature location-specific historic suffrage leaders in New York City and Portland, Oregon. The first edition of the series is a trio of murals in Chicago (2021-2023). Multimedia artists Sam Kirk and Addie Boswell have been commissioned to lead the murals in New York City and Portland, Oregon, respectively.  

The New York City mural will be unveiled on Friday, October 23 at 1:30pm in front of the Henrietta Szold School (293 W. Broadway, New York, NY 10002).

Less than 5% of public art features women or women-centered historical events, and the suffrage movement is not widely known nor sufficiently taught in schools. Public art is free and open to all—to visit in person and also to experience in virtual spaces or archives. The inspirational nature of this work strengthens the representation of diverse women-identifying histories, inspires deeper learning, and celebrates collective action towards civil rights and gender equality. These murals expand public understanding about who shapes and influences democracy in the United States. Less than 5% of public art features women or women-centered historical events, and the suffrage movement is not widely known nor sufficiently taught in schools. Public art is free and open to all—to visit in person and also to experience in virtual spaces or archives. The inspirational nature of this work strengthens the representation of diverse women-identifying histories, inspires deeper learning, and celebrates collective action towards civil rights and gender equality. These murals expand public understanding about who shapes and influences democracy in the United States.

This national series intends to alter the perspective on women's art. Please find below a few quick facts. 

• Women fought for over seven decades to have the 19^th amendment passed (in 1920)

• Racial demographic stats

• Native American women didn't gain full access to the ballot until the Federal Indian Citizenship Act (in 1924)

• Asian women didn’t gain full access to the ballot until the Immigration and Nationality Act (in 1952)
• Black women didn’t gain full access to the ballot until the Voting Rights Act (in 1965)
• Latina women didn’t gain full access to the ballot until extension of the Voting Rights Act (in 1975)

“Many people don't realize that the fight for women's right to vote not only lasted over multiple generations but was also multiracial and progress varied per state,” said Michelle Duster, Co-Director of the National Suffrage Mural Series. “My great grandmother, Ida B. Wells was a leader in the suffrage movement. We have an obligation to promote the stories of these prominent figures during a federally tumultuous time where we're seeing the regressing of basic voting rights."

Monumenta will be hosting two ribbon-cutting events to reveal the murals. The mural in New York City, New York will be unveiled in late October and the mural in Portland, Oregon will be unveiled several weeks later.

“Through these murals, we shine a light on key female-identifying political trailblazers who advocated for our rights,” says Neysa Page-Lieberman, Artistic Director of Monumenta. “And equally important, we want to amplify the work of today’s cultural producers and activists - namely the artists we’ve commissioned and the contemporary communities they depict in the murals, all of whom continue the fight for equality and greatly impact our lives.”

Additional information about Monumenta and the national mural series is available at www.monumentaart.org.

About Monumenta:
Monumenta is a public art initiative that engages artists and community partners to monumentalize collective actions and stories. In collaboration with community partners, Monumenta envisions, develops, advocates, connects and presents our collective stories as monuments. Projects are co-designed to be inclusive of the world’s diversity, centered in feminist practice, and working towards justice and equity. For more information, visit www.monumentaart.org

Neysa Page-Lieberman
Monumenta
2166475704
neysa@monumentaart.org