Anthony Burns Tribute Mural
Located at Anthony Burns Elementary School - Stafford, Virginia
Anthony Burns Tribute Mural - by Tanya M. Green, 2020
About the Mural
Lots of hours and love went into the making of this mural. A huge thank you goes out to wonderful admin and office staff at Anthony Burns Elementary for entrusting me with a new vision for their front office. You all were a joy to work with!
I designed this mural to touch upon key points in Anthony Burn’s life. Your eye is lead through the composition by following the blue wave. Different symbols represent the important events that happened at the various places in his life. Below, I’ve included a picture of a plaque from the Department of Historic Resources that explains more about his life.
As for the the sentence, that was a collaboration between the client and artist. They wanted to bring in the phrase “soar to great heights” while still highlighting the characteristics that embodied Anthony Burns as a person. Now the students at ABES will have a wonderful message to help guide them on their educational journey.
Mural Details
Here are some additional pictures so that you may view the mural up close.
*Images are watermarked with the Green T Studios logo for protection against copyright infringement.
Anthony Burns (1834 - 1862)
“Anthony Burns was born into slavery in Stafford County. In 1854 Burns escaped from Richmond, where he had been hired out, to Boston. His owner demanded his return under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Burns’s arrest on 24 May 1854 inspired abolitionists to attempt his rescue. They were unsuccessful, and a judge ruled that Burns must be sent back to his owner. The episode increased antislavery sentiment across the North. Activists, including African American Bostonians, freed Burns through purchase in 1855, after which he attended Oberlin College. He became a minister and died in Canada West (later Ontario) in 1862.” - Department of Historic Resources, 2012