maya angelou was a champion of black artist and she had worked by elizabeth catlet. especially portrayals of black women. i was also inspired by [indiscernible] maya's life, which was commissioned by opera windfry. i looked at photographs of dr. angelou, i looked at public murals of dr. angelou and i looked how she was represented in sculptures and knew i didn't want to use a image of her already in the public consciousness. i was really drawn to her 1973 interview with bill moyers, so i used an image from that interview as the basis for the portrait. working in bronze was a completely different experience. design for the monument is based on a drawing. transformed into a 32 dimensional object which was then used to make 3d print, which were there cast in the bronze, which were then welded together like a puzzle. it was actually the first time that the boundary created a portrait that is 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide. it was a innovative process which is fitting because maya angelou was a trail-blazer and innovator. >> called for the monument to be placed at the main l

maya angelou was a champion of black artist and she had worked by elizabeth catlet. especially portrayals of black women. i was also inspired by [indiscernible] maya's life, which was commissioned by opera windfry. i looked at photographs of dr. angelou, i looked at public murals of dr. angelou and i looked how she was represented in sculptures and knew i didn't want to use a image of her already in the public consciousness. i was really drawn to her 1973 interview with bill moyers, so i used an image from that interview as the basis for the portrait. working in bronze was a completely different experience. design for the monument is based on a drawing. transformed into a 32 dimensional object which was then used to make 3d print, which were there cast in the bronze, which were then welded together like a puzzle. it was actually the first time that the boundary created a portrait that is 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide. it was a innovative process which is fitting because maya angelou was a trail-blazer and innovator. >> called for the monument to be placed at the main l