Homegoing: A Juried Exhibition
Homegoing: A Juried Art Exhibition is presented as an extension of the MOJA Arts Festival’s NEA Big Read. The Big Read—a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest—broadens our understanding of our world, our neighbors, and ourselves through the power of a shared reading experience. Showcasing a diverse range of themes, voices, and perspectives, the NEA Big Read aims to inspire meaningful conversations, artistic responses, and new discoveries and connections in each community.
In 2022, the City of Charleston’s MOJA Arts Festival was selected as one of the community organizations nationwide designated to receive support for its programming. In collaboration with the Charleston County Public Library, the Black Ink Festival, and the Avery Research Center, the MOJA Arts Festival kicked off the NEA Big Read with Homegoing, a “novel about the legacy of chattel slavery by African-born writer Yaa Gyasi spanning eight generations.” It shows the parallel lives of two 18th-century Ghana-born half-sisters and follows their descendants through historical periods such as the American Civil War and the great Harlem Jazz Age.
For this NEA Big Read juried exhibition, South Carolina artists were asked to submit recent work highlighting themes from the book, including heritage and identity, family, progress, racism, and slavery. Jurors for the exhibition were Dr. Tamara Butler, Executive Director of the Avery Research Center; Daron Calhoun II, Facilities, Outreach and Public Programming Coordinator and Race and Social Justice Initiative Coordinator; and Djuanna Brockington, 2023 Black Ink Festival Committee member. Selected artists include Brittany Alston, Indira Bailey, Karole Turner Campbell, Lee Garrard, Karyn Healey, Tyeisha Jenkins, Okeeba Jubalo, Ben Kelly, Alia Kroos, Catherine Lamkin, Robert Maniscalco, Ervin McDaniel, Richa Pokhrel, Anne Sbrocchi, Cynthia Sims, Lauren Sloan, LaToya Thompson, Keith Tolen, and Grace Womack.
Earlier this autumn as part of the NEA Big Read, the Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) hosted two special book club discussions in October, and the MOJA Arts Festival presented the premiere of a new dance work, Origin, by Harambee Dance Company, exploring connections between West Africa and the American South. More discussion groups are planned alongside special events with the Black Ink Festival and the Avery Research Center The CCPL is circulating multiple print and digital copies of Homegoing, available for borrowing individually or in book club kits. To place a hold on the book or borrow it digitally, visit the CCPL catalog online at www.ccpl.org. Homegoing is also now available on Libby for FREE ebook borrowing for CCPL cardholders.
Homegoing: A Juried Exhibition will be on view from November 28, 2022 through January 29, 2023.
Invited artists for this exhibition are:
Fairoozan Abdullah
Oyindamola Adewale
Brittany Alston
Indira Bailey
Karole Turner Campbell
Lee Garrard
Karyn Healey
Tyeisha Jenkins
Okeeba Jubalo
Ben Kelly
Alia Kroos
Catherine Lamkin
Robert Maniscalco
Ervin McDaniel
Richa Pokhrel
Anne Sbrocchi
Cynthia Sims
Lauren Sloan
La Toya Thompson
Keith Tolen
Jalen Williams
Grace Womack
About the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture
The Avery Research Center’s mission is to collect, preserve, and promote the unique history and culture of the African diaspora, with an emphasis on Charleston, the South Carolina Lowcountry, and beyond. As part of the College of Charleston’s Library system, the Avery Research Center’s archival collections, museum exhibitions, and public programming reflect these diverse populations as well as the wider African Diaspora.
The Center is located at 125 Bull St. in downtown Charleston, and hours for the Center’s Cox Gallery are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10am to noon and 1:30pm to 3:3opm; Tuesdays and Thursdays are by appointment only.
An open house will be held Wednesday, December 14, 2022 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. For more information and holiday closures, visit their website here.
About the NEA Big Read
The NEA Big Read annually provides support to selected nonprofit organizations around the country to host dynamic community-wide reading programs, each designed around a single NEA Big Read title. Organizations apply for funding through a grants program managed by Arts Midwest. Each community program that receives an NEA Big Read grant is also provided with resources, outreach materials, and training on various aspects such as working with local partners, developing public relations strategies, and leading book discussions and Q&As.
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