IFS
Initiatives, 2004
The
Biennial Underground Railroad Exhibition
This past fall,
Northern Kentucky University’s Department of Art and the Institute
for Freedom Studies collaborated with the National Underground Railroad
Freedom Center, with assistance from the Fine Art Fund, to bring a
spectacular and moving exhibition to the Northern Kentucky University
(NKU) Art galleries. The Biennial Underground Railroad Exhibition
was established to celebrate the opening of the National Underground
Railroad Freedom Center by soliciting and exhibiting artwork that
addresses issues of freedom within a local context. For the inaugural
show, a national call went out for artwork reflecting the 2004 theme,
"Visual Journey: Enslavement, Underground Railroad and Freedom."
The
response was overwhelming: 160 artists from all over the US and four
other countries submitted more than 320 pieces of artwork reflecting
the exhibition theme. Michael Ray Charles, an internationally known
artist, served as juror. Charles, who teaches at The University of
Texas at Austin, is best known for his graphically styled paintings
investigating racial stereotypes drawn from the history of American
advertising, product packaging and billboards.
Charles
selected 29 artists to appear in the exhibition, each of whom, he
says, has “created new pathways for us to follow so that ignorance
of things that happened before we were born shall never restrict the
progress of tomorrow.” Included among the exhibition’s
artists were NKU students, David Chal, Nicci Mechler, Alicia Combs,
and Christopher A. Ritter as well as NKU alumni, Nichole Hall, Laura
Hollis and Michael O. Hammonds. From 31 works, Charles chose three
award winners. First place went to David Chal, of Ft. Mitchell, for
his piece, “Inexpansive Expanse”; J. Adam McGalliard,
of New York, New York, won second place for his painting, “Crossroads”;
the third place winner was Patrick Mills, a local artist, for his
video projection, “Blue Wall of Silence.” The exhibition
was curated by David Knight (knightd@nku.edu),
an Institute for Freedom Studies’ Associate and director of
NKU Art Galleries.
Because
the Ohio River Valley is such an important region to the Underground
Railroad Movement and the struggle for freedom, the Institute for
Freedom Studies looks forward to its next Underground Railroad Exhibition,
which is scheduled for 2006. In this and subsequent biennial exhibitions,
we will present more outstanding artists who creatively convey issues
of freedom that are unique to our region.
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Borderlands
III
On
September 16-18, 2004, family historians, community-based researchers,
preservationists, teachers, university faculty and staff, and other
community members all gathered for the 2004 Borderlands Conference,
sponsored by Institute for Freedom Studies and the National Underground
Railroad Freedom Center. Borderlands III began with a keynote address
by Spencer Crew, Ph.D., CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom
Center, and a tour of the newly-opened facility. The conference also
featured various presentations on the significance of the Ohio River
to the international Underground Railroad Movement, as well as sessions
on collaborative research.
Fourth
Annual Freedom Studies Student Visual Art and Writing Contest
Each
year, the Institute for Freedom Studies sponsors contests in which
student artists and writers submit original work reflecting themes
related to the Underground Railroad movement. The 2004 contest theme
was “The Legacy of Enslavement and the Underground Railroad
in the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati Area.” Artist and
Professor, Terence Corbin, served as juror of the visual art contest;
Caroline Miller, an historian and writer, judged the writing submissions.
Winning entries were exhibited in the Northern Kentucky University
Corbett Theatre, where a reception was also held and cash prizes awarded
to the following.
Writing
Contest
Awarded 1st place: Cherinee Donaldson for her poem, “Keep Shining”
Awarded 2nd place: Ashley Rickett for her essay, “Abolitionism
and Social Work in the Churches”
Awarded 3rd place: J. K. Long for her poem, “Margaret”
Awarded Honorable Mention: Christopher Miller for his poem, “Search
Me”
Visual
Arts Contest
Awarded 1st place: Nichole Hall for “Preservatives”
Awarded 2nd place: Matt Ashton for “On the River”
Awarded 3rd place: Amy Nobbe for “Cookhouse”
Juror’s Prize: Casey Bussard for “Untitled”
Juror’s Prize: Christopher A. Ritter for “A Different
Shade of Pop Culture Series”
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