The exhibit, which presents a visual flow of cultural change driven by Black artists and activists, features photographs, clothing, paintings, a statue and other artwork. Panels of explanatory texts include titles such as \u201cSlavery, Abolition and the Civil War,\u201d \u201cAt the Pulpit,\u201d \u201cMusic of a Free People,\u201d \u201cHarlem, New York,\u201d \u201cBlack Freedom Movement,\u201d \u201cBlack Arts Movement\u201d and \u201cClothing and Style.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to tell the story of revolution and reclamation and resistance throughout American history,\u201d said Hadley Drodge, assistant museum curator and a Wright State public history graduate. \u201cBut we wanted to do it in a way that didn\u2019t just focus on the politics of these movements, but also show how artists are pivotal in creating cultural change. Not only do artists interpret these contemporary challenges that are happening around us, but they also kind of help us see a way forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the past year, the museum had to close temporarily because of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things that\u2019s very frustrating to somebody who is passionate about museums is seeing a museum with closed doors. All of these stories are kind of left untold,\u201d said Drodge. \u201cWe immediately went into high gear trying to figure out how do we reach the public in a new innovative way.\u201d<\/p>\n
The museum exercised its online muscle, creating educational lessons for students who were remote learning and doing more webinars, attracting participants from around the country.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2021\/07\/Rhythm-of-Revolution-exhibit-57163_003-508x339.jpg\")
<\/a>A tuxedo worn by Count Basie is featured in the \u201cRhythm of Revolution: The Transformative Power of Black Art 1619 to the Present\u201d at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center. (Video by Kris Sproles \/ photos by Erin Pence)<\/p><\/div>\n
In May, the museum re-opened its doors, which included raising the curtain on the students\u2019 “Rhythm of Revolution” exhibit for a four-month run through Aug. 14.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is such an important part of our history that for generations has been suppressed,\u201d said Drodge. \u201cWhat we are doing is just one small part to try to bring these stories out.\u201d<\/p>\n
The idea for the exhibit was born in a public history class on exhibits at Wright State during Spring Semester co-taught by Drodge, who herself has a master\u2019s degree in public history from Wright State<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe gave the students opportunities to help formulate this idea themselves along with having supervision from our staff,\u201d said Drodge, who works with lead museum curator Rosa Rojas. \u201cThey did the research, the writing, chose the objects, did preparation on the objects for installation \u2014 the whole gamut.\u201d<\/p>\n Each of the 10 students chose an era of time to focus on.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I love about this exhibit is that 10 different people with completely different backgrounds came together to dig up this history, interpret it in their eyes and to bring these stories to the public,\u201d said Drodge. \u201cIt\u2019s a very ambitious project. It\u2019s a very long timeline with a lot to say in it. We hope what people can do is come to see this exhibit, get inspired by some stories and dig deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n Derek Pridemore, who earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in history and a master\u2019s in public history from Wright State, co-taught the course along with Drodge.<\/p>\n \u201cTo have such a professional museum studies\/public history program is incredible,\u201d said Pridemore. \u201cBringing history to the public is one of the most important things historians can do.\u201d<\/p>\n With the exhibit, Pridemore helped with writing and editing as well as cataloging and displaying the objects.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most gratifying thing is seeing the stories that have not been talked about on the walls and knowing that these people and these stories have been uncovered and put on display for people to learn about,\u201d he said. \u201cCreating art as an African American during these times was very dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n From left: Derek Pridemore, adjunct faculty member in history; Hadley Drodge, assistant curator and public history alumna; and public history alumni Daniel Willis, Travis Terracino and Michael Camp organized the \u201cRhythm of Revolution” exhibition.<\/p><\/div>\n Travis Terracino, who earned his bachelor\u2019s degree in history from Wright State and graduated with his master\u2019s in public history in May, developed a 1950s\u20131970s timeline that included artists during the civil rights movement.<\/p>\n The biggest challenge, said Terracino, was sorting through the massive amount of material and deciding what to exhibit, especially the things that were not so well known.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got to dive in to actual hands-on archives, looking at physical documents,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not looking at reproductions; you\u2019re looking at actual things that were touched by these individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n Terracino said one of his favorite parts of the exhibit is a painting by visual artist Jeff Donaldson, co-founder of AfriCOBRA, a radical group of artists who wanted to separate from the \u201cwhite gaze of art\u201d and create a more Afro-centric, Black urban art for Black people.<\/p>\n Michael Camp, who graduated with his master\u2019s degree in public history in May, focused on music and theater from the 1950s to 1979. Camp opted to display the Count Basie tuxedo along with a trombone from renowned jazz trombonist Booty Wood, who studied music at Dunbar High School in Dayton.<\/p>\n \u201cIn this era, you can\u2019t talk about music without thinking about Motown,\u201d he said. \u201cMotown was founded in 1959 and still remains one of the biggest, well-known record labels, especially for African American performers.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel Willis chose the 1980s to the present day as his timeline.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really difficult because it\u2019s really hard to find a place to stop when every day something new happens,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The deadline pressure and writing to convey a lot of information in a short amount of text were the most challenging things for Willis, who also graduated with his master\u2019s degree in public history in May. His career goal is to work as an archivist.<\/p>\n \u201cI really like digging through old boxes and finding neat stuff and telling people about it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Graduate public history students at Wright State organized the exhibit \u201cRhythm of Revolution: The Transformative Power of Black Art 1619 to the Present.\u201d Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2021\/07\/Rhythm-of-Revolution-exhibit-57163_011jpg-508x364.jpg\")
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