The Elmhurst Public Arts Commission hosted a ribbon-cutting/dedication ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 24, near the Elmhurst Art Museum in honor of the new “Spirit of Bessie Coleman” sculpture acquired with their help—along with an Explore Elmhurst grant that the Public Arts Commission received for the permanent installation of the sculpture on this site. Chicago artist Bernard Williams is the creator of the 12-foot-tall steel pole sculpture, which features a propeller, wings, and the face of a woman in aviator goggles. The sculpture honors Coleman—the first Black woman pilot who broke barriers to earn an international pilot's license and pave the way for future generations of Black pilots in the early 20th century. Coleman was born in Texas in 1892, and moved to Chicago in 1915, where her desire to fly was born. Because no American aviation school would admit her as a student, she moved to France, and obtained her pilot license in 1921. (Photo by Clark Maxwell)
