The Embrace — Boston Common
The Embrace, a bronze memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, was unveiled on Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2023; designed by artist Hank Willis Thomas with MASS Design Group as architect/landscape designer, bronze fabrication by Walla Walla Foundry, and stone fabrication by Quarra Stone Company.
| Venue | Boston Common |
|---|---|
| Project type | Installation |
| Status | Completed |
| Year completed | 2023 |
| Technologies | bronze casting, custom stone paving |
Credits
| Firm | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MASS Design Group | Architecture | Architecture, landscape design, and plaza design; conceived with artist Hank Willis Thomas, who designed the bronze sculpture (individual artist, not a firm) |
| walla-walla-foundry | Fabrication | Bronze casting and fabrication of the sculpture |
| quarra-stone-company | Fabrication | Stone fabrication of plaza pavers, benches, and wall elements |
Description
The Embrace is a 20-foot-tall, 25-foot-wide bronze sculpture depicting four interlocking arms, inspired by a photograph of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King embracing after King learned he had won the Nobel Peace Prize. MASS Design Group designed the surrounding 1965 Freedom Plaza, including inscribed pavers naming 65 local civil rights leaders. The bronze was cast and installed by Walla Walla Foundry; plaza stonework, benches, and wall elements were fabricated by Quarra Stone Company.