UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The diversity of Black artistic and literary expression is the focus of the upcoming exhibition, “’Where Beauty’s At’: Expressions of Black Visual Culture,” co-curated by Brittany Frederick, a postdoctoral scholar with the Africana Research Center, and Adisa Vera Beatty, a Just Transformations Postdoctoral Fellow with the Center for Black Digital Research, in partnership with Penn State University Libraries’ Eberly Family Special Collections Library.
The exhibition runs from Feb. 1 through Sept. 9, in the Special Collections exhibition space at 104 Paterno Library on the University Park campus. An opening reception will take place on Feb. 1 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, and is free and open to the public.
The exhibition explores Black visual culture and its intimate ties to the lived experiences of Black people as documented in the collections of the Special Collections Library. The works on view span a wide swath of time, from the 18th-century to the present, and encompass diverse forms of artistic expression. Highlights include poetry broadsides that aim to create vivid images in the minds of their readers; captivating photographs of prominent Black Philadelphians and their styles of dress; church fans made by the printer Amos Paul Kennedy Jr.; a collection of political buttons from Black organizations; and a first edition of the author, educator and activist Anna Julia Cooper’s groundbreaking book “A Voice from The South,” to name a few. Throughout, a central theme persists: The enduring significance of Black visual culture.
Film and lecture
In conjunction with the exhibition, the library will be screening a short film, “Curating Black Visual Culture: The Making of an Exhibition.” Made in collaboration with Penn State’s student-run CommAgency, the film offers a behind-the-scenes peek at how the exhibition was conceived and created. The film will be on view in the exhibition space.
In addition to the film, the 2024 Charles W. Mann Jr. Lecture in the Book Arts will be presented by book artist and educator IBe’ Crawley and will provide a window into the research and creation of her book “11033,” which will be on display in the exhibition. “11033” combines archival research and book arts to bring the story of Mary Morst, a Black woman imprisoned in the Virginia State Penitentiary in 1921, to life.
The Mann Lecture takes place on Thursday, Apr. 25 from 1 to 2 p.m. and will be presented virtually. More details on how to register will be made available shortly.
Public tours
Public tours of the exhibition will be offered on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. and on Wednesday, March 20 at 11 a.m. Tours are free, open to all, and take place in the Special Collections exhibition space.
Additional requests for class or special tours, including inquiries regarding accessibility accommodation, should be directed to Clara Drummond, lead curator and exhibitions coordinator, at cjd86@psu.edu.