Artist Tyanna Buie Created Obama Center Installation
The printmaker designed a new wall mural for the Democracy in Action Lab at the Chicago museum.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Civic Engagement
Artist Tyanna J. Buie created a new installation for the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago. She was selected as one of thirty artists commissioned to display work at the site.
Why it matters
The installation seeks to represent the specific actions individuals take to support and elect political candidates. It serves as a visual record of grassroots participation in the democratic process.
The installation features three framed works and a wall mural. It incorporates archival newspaper clippings sourced from eBay to highlight political engagement.
The players
Tyanna J. Buie
She is an associate professor of printmaking at the Rhode Island School of Design.
Barack Obama
He is the former President of the United States who commissioned the center and met the artist in 2004.
Obama Presidential Center Museum
This facility in Chicago serves as a presidential library and community space.
Joanna Booth
She collaborated with Buie on the creation of the installation.
Daniella Pozo
She worked alongside the lead artist to complete the museum project.
The details
Titled Be the Change!, the installation utilizes layered screenprints to examine voting, online petitions, and public advocacy. Buie completed the project in collaboration with Joanna Booth and Daniella Pozo.
Timeline
Buie met Barack Obama in Chicago in 2004.
The 2008 presidential campaign provided archival imagery for the mural.
Barack Obama was sworn in as U.S. president in 2009.
Buie held her first solo exhibition in 2019.
Political Context
This installation acts as a formal institutionalization of the 2008 presidential campaign imagery. It contrasts with purely historical archives by reframing partisan campaign materials as contemporary public art.
Visitors to the center will gain a visual perspective on how digital and physical advocacy efforts function. The piece provides local residents an opportunity to examine the artifacts of political history up close.
The takeaway
The installation emphasizes that personal involvement remains a core component of political influence. Visitors are encouraged to reflect on how their own past advocacy efforts mirror the historical records displayed.
Further reading
Discover more about local initiatives in the Civic Engagement section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rhode Island Monthly.
