Exhibitions

Southern Journeys: African American Artists of the South

January 28 – March 18, 2012
Join us for these events:

Opening Reception -
       Thursday, February 2    5:30 – 7 p.m.

Symposium -
       Thursday, February 23    1 p.m.

Whether or not they call it home, African American artists of the past century have repeatedly explored their ties to the South. This region may appear in their art as a literal space located below the Mason-Dixon Line or as a “place” of mind, memories, dreams, spirit, history, or culture. Southern Journeys presents the responses of 54 artists to the South through a selection of paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, and mixed-media works.

Artists in the exhibition range from the generation maturing in the 1930s to those who came of age in the 1990s and 2000s and include both academically trained and self-taught artists. Among the artists are Leroy Allen, Benny Andrews, Radcliffe Bailey, Richmond Barthe’, Romare Bearden, Beverly Buchanan, Elizabeth Catlett, David Driskell, Clementine Hunter, Jacob Lawrence, Faith Ringgold, and Charles White.

The South is home to a unique concentration of distinctive African American forms which can be seen in the work of the artists in Southern Journeys. The impact of the customs and experiences of everyday life is notable, as is that of African American folk music, art, and religion. African American oral and visual traditions intersect in much of their work, as do the sacred and secular. Musicians, storytellers, singers, dancers, and the black church are key sources of inspiration. Themes from African American history and culture appear frequently, spanning a period from the advent of slavery to the present day.

The exhibition is curated by Eloise Johnson, Ph.D., independent curator, Zachary, Louisiana, and Stella Jones, M. D. of the Stella Jones Gallery in New Orleans. The exhibition is toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national program of Mid-America Arts Alliance. ExhibitsUSA sends more than 25 exhibitions on tour to more than 100 small- and mid-sized communities every year. Mid-America is the oldest nonprofit regional arts organization in the United States. More information is available at www.maaa.org and www.eusa.org.

David Driskell (1931), Linear Pines, 1998, mixed media on paper, 17 1/4 x 18 7/8 inches, courtesy Stella Jones Gallery, New Orleans, LA. © David Driskell.

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