Outside the unveiling of Boston’s The Embrace sculpture commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 19, 2023

People remove a green fabric on the fence to get a view of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, as it is unveiled during a ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
Viewed through a fence put up for the unveiling, "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, was unveiled to the public in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.

“The Embrace,” a new two-story sculpture celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and his wife Coretta Scott King, who met in Boston, was unveiled on Jan. 13, 2023, in Boston Common, America’s first public park. It’s the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. The sculpture’s abstract form–which has drawn some criticism–is drawn from a photo of when the couple embraced after learning MLK had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

While the sculpture’s website said, “Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us,” the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders. There were large screens set up outside the ceremony so the general public could view the proceedings, but many outside the fence were frustrated without a way to glimpse the new sculpture with their own eyes until they pulled down the green fabric on the fence obscuring their view.

People look through and over a fence to get a view of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, as it is unveiled during a ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
People look through and over a fence to get a view of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, as it is unveiled during a ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
A black fabric covers part of the sculpture before the unveiling of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
People look through and over a fence to get a view of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, as it is unveiled during a ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
People look through and over a fence to get a view of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, as it is unveiled during a ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
People look through and over a fence to get a view of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, as it is unveiled during a ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
People look through and over a fence to get a view of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, as it is unveiled during a ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
A screen outside the unveiling ceremony allowed the general public to view the ceremony as "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, was unveiled in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
People look through and over a fence to get a view of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, as it is unveiled during a ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
People look through and over a fence to get a view of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, as it is unveiled during a ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
A choir sings during the unveiling ceremony of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
People look through and over a fence to get a view of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, as it is unveiled during a ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
People look through and over a fence to get a view of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, as it is unveiled during a ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
A Black man raises his hand above the fence while trying to get a view of "The Embrace," a public art sculpture in Boston Common celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and wife Coretta Scott King, as it is unveiled during a ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on Fri., Jan. 13, 2023. The statue is 22-feet tall and is based on a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King embracing after learning he had won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The sculpture is the first new piece of art added to the Common in decades. While the sculpture's website said, "Come on down to Boston Common on Friday January 13 to the outdoor unveiling and stand with us," the actual unveiling ceremony was only open to ticket-holders, leaving many frustrated outside the fences without a way to glimpse the new sculpture until the crowd pulled down the green fabric obscuring their view. The sculpture was designed by the artist Hank Willis Thomas and has been criticized for its abstract, headless form. The unveiling ceremony, closed to the general public, included members of the King family and local Boston and Massachusetts politicians.
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