Mississippi News

Mississippi Museum of Art opens ‘Great Migration’ exhibit

Published

3 years ago

April 15, 2022

Photos: Mississippi Museum of Art opens homage exhibit to ‘The Great Migration’

by Vickie King, Mississippi Today
April 15, 2022

More than 6 million African Americans in the South migrated north seeking better opportunities and a better way of life between 1916-1970. Those millions populated cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

That exodus was called “The Great Migration.”

An homage to that pilgrimage north opened this week at the Mississippi Museum of Art, where 12 artists from across the nation with ties to Mississippi will have their newly commissioned works showcased in the exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration.”

The exhibit features work by acclaimed Black artists, including Akea Brionne, Mark Bradford, Zoë Charlton, Larry W. Cook, Torkwase Dyson, Theaster Gates Jr., Allison Janae Hamilton, Leslie Hewitt, Steffani Jemison, Robert Pruitt, Jamea Richmond-Edwards, and Carrie Mae Weems. The works explore “profound impact of the Great Migration on the social and cultural life of the United States from historical and personal perspectives,” museum officials explained.

The museum hosted an April 8 weekend opening that featured discussions from most of the artists. The weekend guests included Ford Foundation president and author Darren Walker, who spoke to attendees about the lasting legacies of the Great Migration, and ABC anchor and Mississippi native Robin Roberts.

The exhibit will be open at the museum in downtown Jackson until Sept. 11, 2022.

Here are some photos from the exhibit’s opening weekend.

Los Angeles artist Mark Bradford’s piece, “In 500,” depicts a wanted ad calling for Black families to settle on land in New Mexico, as opposed to “Wanted” posters of a more sinister ilk. Bradford’s artwork is part of the exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration,” at the Mississippi Museum of Art, Friday, Apr. 8, 2022.

Artist Jamea Richmond-Edwards of Detroit (center) and museum visitors chat about Richmond-Edward’s piece, “This Water Runs Deep,” currently on display as part of the exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration,” at the Mississippi Museum of Art, Friday, Apr. 8, 2022.

Jamea Richmond-Edwards of Detroit discusses her mixed media and collage on canvas piece, “This Water Runs Deep,” depicting family impacted by Mississippi River flooding and their travels north to Arkansas and Missouri. The artwork is part of the exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration,” at the Mississippi Museum of Art, Friday, Apr. 8, 2022.

Maryland based artist Zoe Charlton, poses with her collage on wood panel, “Permanent Change of Station.” The piece blends worlds of reality and fantasy, depicting her family’s journeys out of the South and around the world, many by way of the military, Friday, Apr. 8, 2022.

Artist Larry W. Cook, with one of the only portraits he has shot of his father. Cooks’ portrait of his father and other family members is called, “Let My Testimony Sit Next to Yours,” and is a part of the exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration,” at the Mississippi Museum of Art, Friday, Apr. 8, 2022.

Museum curator Ryan N. Dennis describes the piece of Houston born artist Robert Pruitt called, “A Song for Travelers,” which depicts Houston’s Third and Fourth Wards where Pruitt grew up. The artwork is part of the exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration,” at the Mississippi Museum of Art, Friday, Apr. 8, 2022.

Museum curator Jessica Bell Brown (center), describes the painted steel and aluminum, glass and dry-erase piece of artist Torkwase Dyson called, “Way Over There Inside Me (A Festival of Inches),” depicting ” the magnitude of accelerated movement in America.” Dyson’s sculpture is part of the exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration,” at the Mississippi Museum of Art, Friday, Apr. 8, 2022.

Artist Akea Brionne describes the tapestries she created honoring her three great aunts (the Phelps sisters) and her great grandmother. These women in her life made it possible for the men in the family to migrate north in search of a better life. The artwork is part of the exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration,” at the Mississippi Museum of Art, Friday, Apr. 8, 2022.

Artists, patrons of the arts and Mississippi Museum of the Arts staff kick off the exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration,” an homage to the social, economical and cultural impact that resulted from the exodus of millions African Americans from the South to northern states. The exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration,” opened today at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson, Friday, Apr. 8, 2022.

The Mississippi Museum of Art is host to the exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration,” at the Mississippi Museum of Art, Friday, Apr. 8, 2022.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Suspect in Charlie Kirk assassination believed to have acted alone, says Utah governor

Published

3 days ago

September 12, 2025

Staff Editor

www.wjtv.com – The Associated Press – 2025-09-12 05:10:00

SUMMARY: Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested for the targeted assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Orem, Utah. Authorities said Robinson had expressed opposition to Kirk’s views and indicated responsibility after the shooting. The attack occurred during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was shot once from a rooftop and later died in hospital. Engravings on bullets and chat messages helped link Robinson to the crime, which was captured on grim video. The killing sparked bipartisan condemnation amid rising political violence. President Trump announced Robinson’s arrest and plans to award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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Mississippi News

Americans mark the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with emotional ceremonies

Published

4 days ago

September 11, 2025

Staff Editor

www.wcbi.com – Associated Press – 2025-09-11 14:00:00

SUMMARY: On the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, solemn ceremonies were held in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville to honor nearly 3,000 victims. Families shared personal remembrances, emphasizing ongoing grief and the importance of remembrance. Vice President JD Vance postponed his attendance to visit a recently assassinated activist’s family, adding tension to the day. President Trump spoke at the Pentagon, pledging never to forget and awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously. The attacks’ global impact reshaped U.S. policy, leading to wars and extensive health care costs for victims. Efforts continue to finalize legal proceedings against the alleged plot mastermind.

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The post Americans mark the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with emotional ceremonies appeared first on www.wcbi.com

Mississippi News

Hunt for Charlie Kirk assassin continues, high-powered rifle recovered

Published

4 days ago

September 11, 2025

Staff Editor

www.wjtv.com – Michael Bartiromo – 2025-09-11 04:56:00

SUMMARY: Charlie Kirk, conservative influencer and Turning Point USA founder, was fatally shot by a sniper during a speech at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. The shooter, believed to be a college-aged individual who fired from a rooftop, escaped after the attack. Authorities recovered a high-powered rifle and are reviewing video footage but have not identified the suspect. The shooting highlighted growing political violence in the U.S. and sparked bipartisan condemnation. Kirk, a Trump ally, was praised by political leaders, including Trump, who called him a “martyr for truth.” The university was closed and security heightened following the incident.

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