mission statement

history of the project

how the sites were chosen

background of the underground railroad

symbology of the sculptures

As a major stop on the Underground Railroad, which allowed enslaved African-Americansfrom the Deep South to escape across the border into Canada, the Niagararegion shares a common heritage with many other strategically located sectionsof the United States.

In a project which commemorates both the slaves who escaped and the familieswho sheltered them, the creative team of artist Houston Conwill, poet EstellaConwill Majozo, and architect Joseph DePace has constructed seven symbolicstructures, called Stations, as public sculptures for various sites in NiagaraCounty. One of the Stations is in place outside the museum, and guides areavailable for public tours of the remaining six. This project, which hastaken place in conjunction with community outreach and educational programsin elementary and secondary schools, is sponsored by the National Endowmentfor the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts.