Description

Wendel A. White, Distinguished Professor of Art, Stockton University; 2021 Robert Gardner Fellow in Photography, Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Harvard University

In conversation with William E. Williams, Audrey A. and John L. Dusseau Professor in the Humanities; Professor of Fine Arts, Haverford College

Visual artist Wendel A. White photographs objects, documents and books held in public collections to explore the complexities of American history, slavery, abolition, concepts of race and Black life and culture. In this program, marking the upcoming exhibition of his work at the Peabody Museum, White engages in a conversation with photographer William E. Williams, whose own images of architecture, landscapes and African American historical sites examine similar topics. Both artists share their approaches to documenting complex and painful aspects of U.S. history. They highlight marginalized or overlooked Black and African American stories of resilience, ingenuity and agency and discuss reconnecting consciousness and memories to places and objects that signify the lives and experiences of Black communities.

A reception and exhibition preview will follow in the galleries of the Peabody Museum. Free parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.

Presented by the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology and Harvard Museums of Science & Culture

The exhibition Manifest: Thirteen Colonies is open May 18, 2024–April 13, 2025.

Learn more about the exhibition and Wendel White.

Learn more about the Robert Gardner Fellowship in Photography

Advance copies of the related book Wendel A. White: Manifest | Thirteen Colonies, (Radius Books/Peabody Museum Press, Summer 2024) is available to view and preorder.

Image credit: Baby Dolls, Kenneth and Mamie Clark, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; Gift of Kate Clark Harris in memory of her parents Kenneth and Mamie Clark, in cooperation with the Northside Center for Child Development Washington, DC. © Wendel A. White