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WIU alum Tyanna Buie signs the back of a panel that will be featured at the Obama Presidential Center when it opens in June.
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Tyanna's signature on her installation entitled "Be the Change!"
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Buie (center) worked with WIU professor Susan Czechowski (left) and her former student Neo Hopkins (right).
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Buie works on her project at the Obama Presidential Center.
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Buie with Czechowski as they fine-tune a portion of the project.
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WIU Alum to be Featured at Obama Presidential Center

February 24, 2026

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MACOMB, IL - - After countless hours of dedication, Western Illinois University alumna and nationally-recognized artist and Professor Tyanna J. Buie can now add a new location to her long list of places her work is featured: the Obama Presidential Center.

Buie's story of resilience and freedom was jumpstarted by her time at WIU, and her newest installment, "Be the Change!" will be available to view by the general public when the Center opens later this Summer.

"It's the culmination of all my work so far," Buie said. "I can't wait until it's open to the public to see and have everyone see it."

Buie was hand-selected by Virginia Shore of Shore Art Advisory LLC, who serves as the curator of the Obama Presidential Center Art Commissions, in June 2024. Buie's work is a large-scale installation featuring hand-applied ink with screen-printed imagery from President Obama's election, presented in the Obama Presidential Center's Forum Building. The work is centered on hope, change and the power of civic participation.

During this process, Buie went back to her roots and enlisted her mentor, friend and WIU Art Professor Susan Czechowski to assist with the installation.

"It meant the world to me to have Susan be a part of it," Buie said. "She introduced me to the medium. She did a lot of self-sacrificing to get me where I am. She brought me into projects when I was in undergrad and I loved to have her a part of this project."

Czechowski said Buie represents one of many success stories seen at WIU—a first-generation college student from an underrepresented community who has gone on to do tremendous things.

"Tyanna embodies what Western Illinois University makes possible—proof that where you start does not limit where dedication, hard work, belief in yourself and the support of mentorship can take you," Czechowski said.

Buie also wanted to pass along everything she learned, inviting her own former student, Neo Hopkins, to help with the installation. Her gallerist, John Sobczak, also came out of retirement for the project.

"It was perfect," Buie said. "I wouldn't have wanted many more people with me. It was like passing down the torch. I know the benefits of having mentors and being able to work side by side with them. When they treat you like an equal it is so beneficial for the student or former student."

Buie's connection with President Barack Obama began during his senate race, when she marched in Chicago's Bud Billiken Parade. His ensuing presidential campaigns inspired the title of her work, "Be the Change!," which features various ways people can inspire change in their own lives.

"With the advancement of social media, it's hard for people to know how to affect change," Buie said. "I think about how people judge others for how they go about change—going to certain protests, or not buying on certain days (boycotts). One of the oldest forms of change is voting. There are multiple ways to be heard. You can do something small that makes a big difference. It could be signing a petition, or it could be speaking up in your family."

Buie will also be featured on Chicago news channel WGN this March where she will display her screen printing technique.

To learn more about the work being done at the Obama Presidential Center, visit bit.ly/4cJNeS7.

For more information on WIU's Art program, visit wiu.edu/Art.

Posted By: Aaron Viner (AP-Viner@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing