Arm extended, holding a lantern to light the way to a future of freedom and opportunity, Harriet Tubman’s likeness stands along the Chenango River in Downtown Binghamton. The bronze-cast statue, dedicated last March, is the capstone piece along the Downtown Binghamton Freedom Trail. As the new school year began, the artist who created the life-size statue visited Binghamton High School to talk with IB Art students about the project and her work.
“I felt that what she had to say about her art process and how she really likes creating things really reflected my personal experience with art and, I’m sure, a lot of my fellow students,” said BHS Senior IB Art student Finch Schatz. “I think it’s a really interesting and creative way of expressing yourself…a way to express who you are, your beliefs, what you are, and what you know.”
Zoe Dufour dedicated about two years, from inception to completion, creating the Tubman statue. It now is the first stop along the trail that marks a series of locations around the city dedicated to influential people who worked for the abolition of slavery and securing civil rights.
“Harriet Tubman is a remarkable person and represents things that we all want to be synonymous with us as Americans,” Dufour said. “I hope that the cultural landscape in America is emphasizing people like her, so I’m glad to be a part of that and that the overall quality of work withstands the test of time.”
Dufour shared images and videos of the process that went into the statue’s creation. From digital concepts of the statue, to creating the mold, pouring the bronze, and assembling the pieces, the IB Art class got an up-close look at Dufour's work. It’s not quick, and it’s certainly not easy; and seeing that firsthand is something the students’ teacher wanted to stress to her class.
“Real world connections are incredibly important and the point that I hope the students took away is that the process, the creation part, that’s what was most meaningful to her,” said BHS IB Art teacher Carly Barvinchak. “Yes, you end up with a beautiful product at the end, but really understanding the meaning behind the sculpture itself: who she was creating, why she was creating it for our area, the whole process is a learning experience.”
As 11th & 12th graders, these students are beginning to think about what they want to do after graduating from BHS. Dufour hopes that sharing her work and the process behind it may inspire them to consider careers in art.
“Art offers a different perspective on learning than other types of academic work and the things you learn in this field are great life skills. It would be great if art could be included in discourse more and considered viable,” Dufour said. “It can be challenging and unique work has to be put in to make a career as an artist or craftsperson, but there are also enormous tradeoffs; you have a lot of freedom, you have a lot of choice, you have a lot of control into how you’re shaping your life.”
And at the very least, Dufour hopes that whatever field the students go into, they approach their future work with creativity and maintain a love for art.