Rumors of War (partially) unveiled in Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. -- "Rumors of War," a monument depicting a young, African-American man sitting on a horse, was partially unveiled Tuesday outside the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Following speech by the Virginia Ralph Northam, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, and artist Kehinde Wiley, the tarp covering the 29-foot statue would not come off cleanly.

After several minutes worth of attempts, the gathered crowed was told to go inside the museum and celebrate while a lift was called in to finish the job.

Rumors of War

Modeled after the statue of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart, artist Kehinde Wiley was inspired to create the work of art during a 2016 visit to Richmond.

"There's something moving in the culture. There's something changing in the winds," Wiley said prior to the unveiling.

Wiley hopes that his work of art will help viewers engage with difficult questions regarding race, power, and public monuments.

"I'm hoping that people will see the very familiar, and to feel as though this is something that they know," Wiley said. "But I also hope that they feel destabilized -as if they're confronting something very familiar, but at more than a glance, unfamiliar."

This is a developing story.