As the Obama Presidential Center prepares to open its doors on June 19 in Chicago, visitors will be welcomed by a monumental glass installation that has become one of the center’s most striking architectural features. Rising 83 feet high and spanning 25 feet wide across the museum tower’s north façade, Uprising of the Sun by renowned contemporary artist Julie Mehretu brings together art, history, and architectural glass on an unprecedented scale.

The installation is integrated into the 225-foot museum tower designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects in collaboration with Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates and Interactive Design Architects. The center, opening on Juneteenth, will feature a full-scale Oval Office replica, the nation’s first fully digital presidential library, community and athletic spaces, and a range of cultural exhibits celebrating the legacy of President Barack Obama.

Inspired by traditional stained glass while embracing contemporary artistic expression, Uprising of the Sun consists of 35 individually painted glass panels fabricated in partnership with Franz Mayer of Munich, one of the world’s most respected architectural glass and mosaic studios. Installation of the artwork began in September 2024.

For Mehretu, the project marked her first experience working with glass as a medium. The artist employed a combination of hand painting, airbrushing, ceramic melting colours, screen-printing, and tape masking techniques to create layered visual narratives across the expansive façade. The imagery draws from historic photographs documenting the Civil Rights Movement, including the Selma marches and the 2015 commemoration led by President Barack Obama and Congressman John Lewis.

According to Mehretu, the artwork was conceived as a reflection on history, place, and collective memory. By layering images and references from pivotal moments in the struggle for civil rights, the installation creates a visual dialogue between past and present. The artist also highlighted the significance of Chicago’s cultural identity, shaped by the Great Migration and generations of diverse communities whose stories continue to influence the city.