A 9-foot tall sculpture embodying the courage of iconic abolitionist Harriet Tubman returned to Maryland Sunday and will be on display until May 30 at Button Farm Living History Center in Germantown.
Artist Wesley Wofford created The Journey to Freedom to honor Tubman’s activist legacy, resilience, and commitment to the fight for freedom in the Underground Railroad with symbols throughout the piece.
The response to the work on social media led Wofford to launch a tour of the monument as a traveling exhibition. Booking is open until 2024 for a monthly stipend. In 2020, the Dorchester County Courthouse in Cambridge exhibited the statue, but this is the first time it has been welcomed to Montgomery County.
Tubman was born into slavery in Dorchester County before escaping to Philadelphia in 1849. Despite the risks, she journeyed back to Maryland to rescue her family and then completed 13 more missions in the Underground Railroad to free about 70 others, according to the website. Contours at the base of the statue represent the Maryland/Deleware Peninsula, Tubman’s birthplace and where many of her freedom raids occurred, Wofford said in an artist’s statement.
School groups and educators can view the sculpture on weekdays while the general public will have access on the weekends with guided and self-guided tours available. Viewers can make timed entry reservations to experience the exhibit along with special weekend events for Earth Day, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day.
Button Farm, located within Seneca Creek State Park, portrays plantation life in the 19th century through interactive displays. The Menare Foundation, an organization preserving history based in Button Farm, partnered with Heritage Montgomery and Visit Montgomery to bring the traveling monument to a wide audience. Registration information can be found on the website.
(Featured image of The Journey to Freedom after it was officially installed at Button Farm courtesy of The Menare Foundation)
