Pocomoke Shipbuilding • Vane Brothers - Chesapeake Bay ...

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Arvie Smith, Baltimore my Baltimore (Detail), 2006: Courtesy of the Artist
New History Exhibits Open
in Baltimore
The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American
History and Culture and the Maryland Historical Society
in collaboration with Maryland Institute College of Art and
students in the Exhibition Development Seminar present
“At Freedom’s Door: Challenging Slavery in Maryland.”
The landmark exhibitions explore the history of slavery
in Maryland and the vestiges of slavery that still remains in
society. The exhibits bring together historical artifacts with
contemporary artworks, including new works by internationally
known artists, including William Christenberry, Sam
Christian Holmes, and Joyce J. Scott.
The exhibition runs through Oct. 28 at the Lewis Museum,
830 East Pratt Street and at the Historical Society, 201
David Claypool Johnston, Early Development of Southern Chivalry,
c. 1861-65.
Quilt Assembly: Photo by Aidah Aliyah Rasheed
West Monument Street, both in downtown Baltimore.
This exhibition tackles a subject crucial to the understanding
of Maryland’s history and future. Through research, students
in the Exhibition Development Seminar came to discover
that the history of slavery in Maryland is complex and
often contradictory due to Maryland’s unique position as the
northernmost southern state and southernmost northern state.
“At Freedom’s Door: Challenging Slavery in Maryland”
intends to engage visitors in a civic dialogue on the modern
issues of freedom, race, and social injustice by questioning
how both enslaved and free Marylanders responded to, challenged,
and defeated slavery as a legal institution.
It seeks to dissolve myths and untruths concerning the history
of slavery, as well as challenge the public perception of
slavery and freedom. The exhibition juxtaposes a rich repository
of historical artifacts and contemporary works of art.
Visitors to the exhibits learn that anti-slavery activity was
of critical importance in Maryland on both a personal and
national level. With the existence of more than 100,000 free
people of color in Maryland at the beginning of the Civil War,
the historical part of the exhibition showcases how black and
white Marylanders worked together to swing the weight of history
in favor of freedom and helped change American history.
The exhibitions’ contemporary component reminds visitors
that the struggle for African Americans to achieve parity
in American society was just beginning after the Civil War
and, through the inventive use of contemporary art, illustrates
that it has not yet ended.
For more information, visit www.mica.edu/atfreedomsdoor,
or call the Lewis Museum 443-263-1800 or the Historical
Society at 410-685-3750, ext. 321.