Mississippi News

Mississippi Museum of Art opens ‘Great Migration’ exhibit

Published

2 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.

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Mississippi News

Driver had Kratom chemical in system at time of fatal Rankin County crash

Published

11 mins ago

April 26, 2024

Staff Editor

www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-04-26 13:49:10

SUMMARY: A driver involved in a fatal crash in Rankin County, Mississippi earlier this year had a chemical found in Kratom in their system, according to toxicology reports. The driver died at the scene despite efforts to save them. The investigation revealed that the driver appeared to have been under the influence of a significant amount of Mitragynine, the prevalent chemical in Kratom. Kratom, a substance derived from a Southeast Asian tree, is used for various purposes including relieving muscle strains and managing opioid withdrawal symptoms. In response to this incident, the Rankin County Board of Supervisors banned the use and distribution of Kratom in the county.

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Mississippi News

Mississippi Senate sends Medicaid expansion counteroffer to House

Published

2 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Staff Editor

www.wjtv.com – Richard Lake – 2024-04-26 11:52:46

SUMMARY: Mississippi Senate Medicaid expansion conferees offered the House two counteroffers. One was the original Medicaid “lite” plan from the Senate, and the other was a compromise without a work requirement. Both plans cover residents up to 138% of the federal poverty level, with the state paying 10% of insurance costs. State Senator Kevin Blackwell stated that the Senate's hybrid plan aligns with the House's request to cover individuals up to 138% of the poverty level. The House can choose to accept, amend, or decline both offers.

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Mississippi News

Mississippi sees first documented cicada of 2024

Published

3 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Staff Editor

www.wjtv.com – Kristopher White – 2024-04-26 10:57:22

SUMMARY: Cicadas are emerging in Mississippi, with Choctaw County witnessing its first documented cicada for 2024. Mississippi has three broods of 13-year cicadas, with Brood XIX set to emerge this year. Mississippi is the only state with all three broods of 13-year periodic cicadas, with Brood XIX in 2024, Brood XXII in 2027, and Brood XXIII in 2028. There are 12 broods of 17-year cicadas, but these occur farther north. Periodic cicadas are known for their appearance, loud singing, and large numbers. Mississippi will also see annual cicadas with greenish bodies and bulging eyes.

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