Two exhibitions that open Dec. 1 at the City Gallery re-examine the lives of enslaved people through their surroundings and descendants.
One show highlights the work of historian Joe McGill’s Slave Dwelling Project, while the other features 40 paintings by artist John W. Jones of Columbia, S.C.
An opening reception takes place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 1 and both exhibits will remain on display through Feb. 11, 2024. Admission is free, and the downtown gallery on Prioleau Street near the Joe Riley Waterfront Park is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
The exhibit Sleeping with the Ancestors: How I Followed the Footprints of Slavery highlights the work of McGill’s nonprofit Slave Dwelling Project and features more than 40 photos taken by South Carolina photographers.
McGill founded the nonprofit in 2010 with the goal of preserving former slave dwellings in the U.S. as well as protecting African heritage and artifacts in addition to raising awareness about African Americans’ contributions to the nation’s history.
Since 2010, McGill has visited more than 150 former slave dwellings in 25 states and Washington, D.C., conducting overnight stays and giving presentations and lectures.
McGill recently released a book with co-author and City Paper special projects editor Herb Frazier. Their book, Sleeping with the Ancestors, focuses on the history of some significant locations the Slave Dwelling Project has visited.
Paintings inspired by historical research
The second exhibit, “Payne-ful” Business, Charleston’s Journey to Truth, features more than 40 paintings created by John W. Jones with oils, acrylics and watercolors. His works are inspired by Margaret Seidler’s historical research into her own family history, which revealed her relation to William Payne, his great-grandfather and domestic slave trading auctioneer.
Using Payne’s newspaper ads for enslaved blacksmiths, cooks, brick masons and people with many other talents, Jones transforms these figures’ trades and skills into a compelling visual narrative that celebrates the many contributions of the enslaved.
His images are included in Seidler’s coming book, “Payne-ful” Business, Journey to Truth, to accompany her historical interpretations of her recently discovered ancestors.
Jones’ artistic endeavor aims to explore the African American experience from the slave trade in Africa through the Middle Passage and pre-Civil War era and contrast it to African Americans’ experience today.
- For more information about these two exhibits, visit citygalleryatwaterfrontpark.com.
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