Let Us March On, which documents and contextualizes the Black Lives Matter movement in Arkansas, will open at the Windgate Museum of Art on Friday, September 25, 2020, and will be on display through January 22, 2021. The exhibition will be on display in the Window Gallery, which is visible at all times from the exterior of the museum. A wide variety of virtual programs will accompany the exhibition, including virtual talks by the curator and participating artists, films, panel discussions, and podcasts. Guest curator for the exhibition is Stephanie Sims, Director of the Museum and Cultural Center at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The exhibition includes a rich mix of documentary photographs, artwork, artifacts, interactives, and narrative text. Let Us March On reveals how the efforts of the Black Lives Matter movement motivated activism amongst youth and allies to advocate against racial inequality and police brutality nationwide. The exhibition looks at those stories from a local perspective but situated within the larger national and international movement, because change begins locally.
“When thinking of the Black Lives Matter movement we often focus on its national influence while overlooking its impact on our local community,” said Stephanie Sims, guest curator for Let Us March On. “Hundreds of Arkansans gathered and began marching and demanding justice for the victims and their families, as well as accountability from police departments. As the guest curator for Let Us March On, it is my mission to dismantle negative depictions of the movement by educating our audience on the importance of the movement’s activisms and advocacies.”
“Stephanie Sims has done an outstanding job of bringing the story of the Black Lives Matter movement in Arkansas to life in our Window Gallery,” said Mary Kennedy, director of the Windgate Museum of Art. “Through a variety of media, she has captured what the movement means for all Arkansans. We are grateful to her, the participating artists and photographers, the Exhibition Planning Team, and the contributors for allowing Hendrix College to organize this timely exhibition.”
For information about various programs and activities for Let Us March On, please follow @windgatemuseum on Instagram and @WMAatHDX on Facebook. For more information, contact Amanda Cheatham at 501-328-2383 or cheatham@hendrix.edu.
About the Windgate Museum of Art
The Windgate Museum of Art is the new art museum located on the campus of Hendrix College. With a vision to be the premier teaching art museum in Arkansas, the WMA presents outstanding art exhibitions, compelling educational programs, and invigorating social activities for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to campus. Free and open to all, the museum uses hands-on experiences to train students in all facets of museum work, including curatorial research, collection management, educational and social programming, marketing and communications, as well as all aspects of exhibition research, planning, installation, and evaluation. The Windgate Museum of Art is made possible with the generous support of the Windgate Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.