As a corrective to histories that define slavery and anti-Black racism as a largely southern issue, Unnamed Figures: Black Presence and Absence in the Early American North offers a new window into Black representation in a region often overlooked in accounts of early African American history.
Through 125 remarkable works, including paintings, needlework, and photographs, this exhibition invites visitors to focus on figures who appear in—or are omitted from—early American images and will challenge conventional narratives that have minimized early Black histories in the North, revealing the complexities and contradictions of the region’s history between the late 1600s and early 1800s.
Afterward, weather permitting, we can cross to the square at Lincoln Center to sit and chat or gather in a local restaurant for a bite to eat, Dutch treat.
Although not leading the tour, Elizabeth Warren ’72, president of the American Folk Art Museum board of trustees, will accompany guests and answer questions about the museum and folk art in general. Elected to the presidency of the board in 2019, Elizabeth has served on the museum’s board since 2007. She was a curator at the museum from 1984 to 1991 and subsequently served as a consulting and guest curator. She has organized a number of critically acclaimed exhibitions, many of which have been accompanied by books, including Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts (2011), The Perfect Game: America Looks at Baseball (2003–2004), and Made in New York City: The Business of Folk Art (2019). After graduating with an AB from Bryn Mawr, where she also served on the board of trustees, she received her MA from New York University in folk art studies.
WHAT: Docent-led tour Unnamed Figures: Black Presence and Absence in the Early American North at the American Folk Art Museum
WHEN: Saturday, February 24, 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: Museum of Folk Art, 2 Lincoln Square (Columbus Avenue at West 66th Street)
HOW MUCH: $25. In addition, we would appreciate club dues to support Club programming for Bryn Mawr alums.
RSVP: RSVP HERE. Tickets are limited and nonrefundable; first come, first served.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Helen Thurston ’74 at hthurston77@earthlink.net
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