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Danbury to honor Marian Anderson with mural at Kennedy Park

Danbury plans to honor City native Marian Anderson.  Mayor Mark Boughton says they're still working out the details, but the plan is to honor the singer with a mural on the building at Kennedy Park. 

In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution refused permission for Anderson to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall in Washington, DC.  First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt arranged to have Anderson performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in the capital. 

The current mural has been up on the building for more than a decade. The City plans to put out a call to artists soon.   Boughton says the location is fitting considering that Anderson sang at John F. Kennedy's inauguration. 

The Danbury Museum and Historical Society owns the Marion Anderson studio.  They have a number of dresses in storage, many of which she designed and created herself for her performances.  The Museum will make the dresses available for viewing to the selected artist. 

The City plans to partner with Savings Bank of Danbury to pay for the mural.  Boughton says he was waiting to time the mural with Anderson's likeness appearing on the $5 bill, but that's been delayed. 

WCSU is also tying to raise money to put her name on the West Side performance hall.