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Home / Events / 1619 / 2019: Exhibition Press Release
1619 / 2019: Exhibition Press Release

1619 / 2019: Exhibition Press Release

Wednesday, October 23, 2019
12:00 AM

Muscarelle Museum of Art Press Release – For Immediate Release

MEDIA CONTACT:  Melissa Parris  |  Phone:  757.221.2704  |  E-mail: mmparris@wm.edu

Exhibition:  1619 / 2019 | Exhibition Dates:  November 6, 2019 – January 12, 2020

Williamsburg, Va. (October 23,  2019) – Works of art in a variety of media and techniques, including weaving, quilting, cast iron, mosaic, painting, graphite, photography and prints, will be featured in the exhibition 1619 / 2019 organized by the Muscarelle Museum of Art for the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first documented Africans in Colonial Virginia.  The Muscarelle exhibition, opening November 6, will feature works by emerging and established African American and Native American artists that address the complex experience of slavery and forced migration.  The evocative power of art can serve as a liberating exercise in dealing with the challenging subject matter, such as slavery and forced migration.

Artists from across the country were invited to submit new works, or works from their personal collections, in response to the 1619 / 2019 theme of the exhibition.  Participating artists include Sonya Clark, Nell Painter, Katrina Andry, Sedrick Huckaby, Preston Jackson, Delita Martin, Jerushia Graham, Letitia Huckaby, Richard Ward, Elmer Yazzie, Steve Prince, Dayon Royster, Kimberly Dummons, Bear Allison and Donald Wilson.

Works from the Museum’s permanent collection will augment the exhibition and will include such artists as Charlie Pratt, Rose Powhatan, Bunky Echo-Hawk, and Willie Cole among others.  Recently acquired works from Cara Romero and Danny Simmons along with original poems by Hermine Pinson, William & Mary Professor of English & Africana Studies, offer additional opportunities for reflection on the powerful subject matter of this exhibition on view through January 12, 2020.

Muscarelle Museum of Art Interim Director David Brashear stated, “The works in this exhibition communicate a complexity of experience, addressing the past and present. We are fortunate to have such powerful works for our visitors to experience and reflect upon.”  Danielle Moretti-Langholtz, Curator of Native American Art, added, “Including art produced by Native Americans in this exhibition reminds us that 1619 had a major impact on the indigenous peoples who had been living in North America for thousands of years.  The forced migration of Africans to Virginia is not just a story about African and European settlers.  It’s about the disruption of the societies and lifeways of the original inhabitants of the continent.”

The exhibition will also include The Links Steamroller Print – a yearlong art project led by Muscarelle Director of Engagement Steve Prince.  Prince engaged people from various cultures and age groups to create small woodblocks that will be inserted into a large-scale, puzzle-like matrix to “link” the individuals.  The culmination of this project is the act of printing with an industrial steamroller. Visitors can witness the live creation of this monumental print on Thursday, November 7, between noon and 1:00 PM on the south yard of the Wren Building on the campus of William & Mary.  The print will then be on view in the 1619 / 2019 exhibition beginning November 8, 2019.

1619 / 2019 will be on view from November 6, 2019 through January 12, 2020.  For more information about this exhibition and associated programming, please visit muscarelle.org.

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About the Muscarelle Museum of Art

Since its founding in 1983, the mission of the Muscarelle Museum of Art has been to integrate and celebrate the role of artistic exploration in the life of William & Mary and greater region. Over the last decade, the Muscarelle has grown from a small university art museum to a world-class brand featuring groundbreaking exhibitions and publications.

The Muscarelle Museum of Art is located on the campus of William & Mary at 603 Jamestown Road in Williamsburg, Va. For more information, call 757-221-2700 or visit muscarelle.org. Follow on Twitter (@Muscarelle), Instagram (@muscarellemuseum) or on Facebook (Muscarelle Museum of Art).

Admission is FREE for this exhibition.  The Museum is open Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 5 PM and Saturday and Sunday, 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM (closed most national holidays, check muscarelle.org for more information).  Special Members’ Only hours (includes Museum Members, William & Mary Faculty and Staff and Students) are on Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

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