I Am Queen Mary is a transnational public art project created by La Vaughn Belle from the U.S. Virgin Islands and Jeannette Ehlers from Denmark. The sculpture is a monument commemorating Denmark's colonial impact in the Caribbean as well as those who fought against it.
I Am Queen Mary - Monument
Year: 2018 – ongoing
Client: Foreningen for I Am Queen Mary
Location: Copenhagen
Artist: La Vaughn Belle and Jeannette Ehlers
Type: Fundraising, project management and curation
Photo (cover): I Do Art Agency
Together with Pauline Koffi Vandet, we started working as project managers on the project in 2022, working with the artist to fundraise and realize the permanence of the sculpture and monument I Am Queen Mary.
The project is a consequence of the public discussions that followed the commission of the temporary monumental work I Am Queen Mary in 2018 (photo above). The sculpture was installed in front of the West Indian Warehouse on the Copenhagen waterfront to memorialize the 100th anniversary of the sale and transfer of the Danish West Indies (now the U.S. Virgin Islands) to the United States. We are now working to make a permanent version cast in bronze.
As part of the project fundraising the artists created a fundraising video which can be seen below
I Am Queen Mary
Fundraising Campaign Video, 2022
Produced by La Vaughn Belle and Jeannette Ehlers