On Saturday, Kent Cultural Alliance (KCA) opened a two-week exhibition of work by five Kent County artists in the Parish Hall at Emmanuel Church.
The five artists were commissioned by KCA to interpret one or more stories of African American history collected by the Chesapeake Heartland African American Humanities Project at Washington College.
Work by artists Bogey Brown, Allen Johnson, Jason Patterson, Mike Pugh, and Gordon Wallace were selected by a panel of KCA Board and Chesapeake Heartland members.
Special guest First Lady of Maryland Yumi Hogan opened the evening with thoughts about the importance of community arts projects that amplify the history of the region.
“This is a wonderful example of supporting local artists engaging in story-telling, stories that are so important to the local community and future generations,” she said.
The Hogan Administration has been a staunch supporter of the arts since 2015 and their focus on funding the Maryland State Arts Council has resulted in Maryland being the 3rd highest per capita arts endowed state in the nation.
Maryland State Arts Council Deputy Director Steven Skerritt-Davis, Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience Director Adam Goodheart, and Chesapeake Heartland Community Historian Carolyn Brooks spoke about the project.
Exhibit hours are Thursday – Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm and Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm through Friday, April 1. A closing reception will be held on Friday, April 1 from 5 – 7 p.m. The exhibition is free to the public. Masks are required inside Emmanuel Church & Parish Hall.
This video is approximately seven minutes in length. for more about the Chesapeake Heartland project, go here. For more about Kent Cultural Alliance, go here.
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