Salem To Install Sarah Parker Remond Portrait In New School

SALEM, MA — Salem will place a portrait of abolitionist and Salem native Sarah Parker Remond in the new Sarah Parker Remond School.

The project is tied to the commemoration of Remond’s 200th birthday on June 6 and to Salem’s 400+ celebrations.

The city said the reproduction will be created in partnership with artist Jane Fiorentini Steward, whose 2017 oil-on-canvas portrait of Remond now hangs on the second floor of Salem City Hall outside the Mayor's Office and City Council Chambers.

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The original painting was based on the only known photograph of Remond. Steward donated that original work to Salem on July 1, 2022.

The reproduction will be made true to the original work and produced as a single-edition artist print.

The city said the effort is meant to deepen public awareness of Remond's legacy as an abolitionist, lecturer and advocate for equality.

"Sarah Parker Remond's life and work remain profoundly relevant today," said Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo. "We are so proud to further elevate her legacy as a woman born here in Salem with impact throughout the world, and we are honored to partner with Jane Fiorentini Steward to bring this powerful image into a space where it can inspire students and visitors for generations to come.

"I hope all who walk through the front doors of the Sarah Parker Remond School into the future will be inspired by this portrait to carry forward her advocacy, her ideas, and her hopes for a more equitable world for all."

Salem's Juneteenth Jam Party in the Park on June 19 will also open with a keynote address delivered by History Alive’s historical reenactment of Sarah Parker Remond.

Juneteenth Jam is scheduled for Friday, June 19, at 11:30 a.m. in Charlotte Forten Park, followed by a full day of activities.