Jason E. Bennett

This piece was created the day that Governor Northam announced the removal of the Lee Statue from Richmond's Monument Avenue, during a summer of intense protest in our city. With my paints and brushes in my backpack, I biked to the monument that afternoon, and painted the scene from life. I was met by people of all ages and colors... some were in large groups, some alone, and many with families and friends. I could hear victory, loss, anxiety, and hope, all at once. I tried to capture the energy and beauty of that summer day in our city, the shift in the monument's aura, and - at the base - a man and a boy, observing the dynamic landscape together.