BALTIMORE, Md. (January 30, 2024) – The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture (The Lewis Museum) today announced it will open its newest exhibition, BLACK WOMAN GENIUS: Elizabeth Talford Scott – Tapestries of Generations, on Thursday, February 1st. The exhibit is presented in partnership with the Elizabeth Talford Scott Community Initiative, the 2023-24 Exhibition Development Seminar (EDS) capstone project for MICA’s undergraduate Curatorial Studies Concentration. BLACK WOMAN GENIUS focuses on Talford Scott as a key figure for Black women in the fiber arts. Her work will be showcased alongside contemporary Black women fiber artists from the Chesapeake area, including her daughter, MacArthur Genius Award winner Joyce J. Scott. The exhibit will explore themes including Ancestry, Tradition, Fiber Narratives, and Healing, aiming to spotlight the distinctive elements of Elizabeth Talford Scott’s work.
The new exhibition will be celebrated with an opening reception and panel discussion on Thursday, February 1st, from 7pm to 9pm. At 8pm, Lewis Museum Curator Imani Haynes will be in conversation with Joyce J. Scott and Leslie King-Hammond, Ph.D., Founding Director of the Center for Race and Culture at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she is also Graduate Dean Emeritus. Dr. King-Hammond served as co-curator for BLACK WOMAN GENIUS.
The celebration of the exhibition’s arrival will continue with a free community day on Saturday, February 3rd that will include a screening of QUILTED EDUCATION. This film celebrates a mother’s artistry and determination to fill the educational void for her daughter regarding Black History within the public school system. A conversation will follow with filmmaker Kayla Robinson and quilter historian Karen Robinson.
The free community day will also include Historic Change: Celebrating the Activism and Impact of Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray. Presented by The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the United States Mint, in partnership with The Lewis Museum, Historic Change will celebrate the latest release in the American Women Quarters™ Program honoring this legal and religious groundbreaker. A native Baltimorean, Rev. Dr. Murray’s book, States’ Laws on Race and Color published in 1951, was described by Thurgood Marshall, then head of the legal department at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as the “Bible” for civil rights litigators. In 1977, Murray became the first Black person perceived as a woman in the U.S. to become an Episcopal priest. AWQ is the first circulating coin program dedicated to honoring women whose achievements, triumphs, and legacies reflect the strength, perseverance, and resiliency of our nation. Visitors will receive a quarter honoring Rev. Dr. Murray and can take part in a variety of craft activities.
To learn more about these events and the full calendar of programming scheduled for February, visit www.LewisMuseum.org/Black-History-Month-2024.
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About the Reginald F. Lewis Museum
Located two blocks from the Inner Harbor in Downtown Baltimore, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture – a Smithsonian Affiliate – documents, interprets, and preserves the complex experiences, contributions, and culture of Black people. It serves as a catalyst of sustained change by providing robust programs and exhibitions and bold conversations that educate and challenge. Founded in 2005, the 82,000-square-foot facility accommodates over 13,000 square feet of permanent and temporary exhibition space, hosting more than 11,000 objects in our permanent collection, special exhibitions, educational programs, and public events. For up-to-date information regarding programs and exhibits and to plan your timed admission, visit www.lewismuseum.org, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @LewisMuseum or on Facebook @RFLewisMuseum.
About the Elizabeth Talford Scott Community Initiative
This initiative brings together five museums and four university sites across Baltimore City for a reunion of the artist’s work from February through May 2024. Each venue will have at least two Exhibition Design students from the participating colleges—Coppin State University, Johns Hopkins University, MICA, and Morgan State University—working on a presentation of Talford Scott’s work for their gallery spaces and organizing a free public program. Under the guidance of 2023-24 EDS Instructor Deyane Moses, the students will determine the curatorial direction of their presentation, drawing out connections to each organization’s collection, space, history, and/or audience.
Major support for “No Stone Unturned” provided by the Bunting Family Foundation and Friends of EDS. Community Day is supported by Lorraine Whittlesey & Markell Whittlesey. Printed and digital materials are supported by The William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund. The Closing Reception is supported by Carol and Jerry Doctrow. In-kind support is provided by the Estate of Elizabeth Talford Scott at Goya Contemporary Gallery.