Torch Song
By Alison Saar
About
The Artwork
A larger-than-life bronze figure, her blue-green color like the Statue of Liberty, raises her flame over the Women’s Garden. Saar’s sculpture honors the powerful Black female voices—from Marian Anderson to Koko Taylor to Nina Simone—who have given voice to Americans’ struggles toward justice.
Location: Outdoor Grounds | Women’s Garden
The artist
Alison Saar works across sculpture, installation, and print, often incorporating found materials such as rough-hewn wood, tin ceiling panels, glass, and urban fragments. Her figures draw from history and lived experience, engaging themes of race, gender, and heritage. Saar studied art history and studio art at Scripps College and earned her MFA from the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles.
Explore More
Hear from Alison Saar
Listen to the Obama Presidential Center audio guide to hear artist Alison Saar share how her powerful bronze sculpture, Torch Song, honors Chicago's blues legends and celebrates the fierce legacy of women using art to ignite change.
Spotlight Stories
Join us in the Women’s Garden for a 15-minute guided look at how Alison Saar’s Torch Song honors the iconic Black female voices that fueled the movement for justice.
Discover the Center’s Outdoor Spaces
Torch Song is featured in the Women’s Garden, just one of several outdoor areas located on our campus. Take a look at the Women’s Garden, the Wetland Walk, and other green spaces available to visitors.
