Monthly Archives: December 2009
Why Does a Slavery Museum Contain More Than an Art Exhibit?
Learning about slavery is not completely cut and dry. We all know that what went on was disgusting and that the entire slave trade was a tragedy, but everything you need to know is not going to be contained in an art exhibit. Although the art that has been created over the years do a good job of expressing the cruelty of the slave traders and owners, the hopelessness that many slaves felt for centuries, and the joy that beamed from their faces when they received news of emancipation, the entire story can’t be told through an art exhibit, there is too much else contributing to the story. This is why when you go to a slavery museum, there is so much information available to visitors. You do not simply walk around in an art exhibit at a slavery museum, and here are some of the reasons why. 1. Read about experiences – At a slavery museum, you may get a chance to read first hand accounts of the struggle. During the centuries of slavery, there were many slaves that actually kept diaries and journals of their daily activities, their innermost feelings, and how they deal with their issues. This … Continue reading
Learning Slavery History In an Art Museum
It is interesting how many artworks depict different time periods of slavery history in an art museum. Almost every major event has some type of art that commemorates it or shows the emotion of the slavery history event in a very palpable way. Going to an art museum can teach a visitor about key points of more than two centuries of oppression that African Americans had to suffer through in this country, and learning about what happened is very important for everyone, no matter your age, race, or gender. Below are some of the scenes of slavery history that were immortalized by giving them a place in an art museum. 1. The Slave Ship – Painted by J.M.W. Turner and first officially displayed, likely in an art museum, in 1840, The Slave Ship showed an essential part of slavery history that all slaves had to go through. The painting depicted the long journey over the Atlantic Ocean that had to be made by slave traders and slaves. Many of the people that were transported on this ship faced sickness or death during the long journey, and Turner’s painting showed the indifference toward human life shown by slave traders as they … Continue reading
Learn About History and Art In a Museum Exhibit
Most of the world participated in the slave trade at some point, that is a fact. Now, after slavery is no longer a part of the mainstream and illegal in almost every part of the world, all that is left to remind us about the struggle is art. That is why there has been a museum exhibit in several prominent galleries, making knowledge of the emotions and pain felt by slaves available to anybody that chooses to take a peek into their world. Whether the art was created by slaves, or a hundred years after by artists trying to remind people about these times, a museum exhibit is a great place to learn more about our history on this planet. Here are some of the places that have a museum exhibit that displays slavery art. 1. London, Sugar & Slavery – This is a museum exhibit located in London, England that examines London’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. It is a permanent museum exhibit that is meant to be thought provoking. The art that is displayed is located in a sugar warehouse setting and has inspired others to create art that is in the same vein as this museum … Continue reading
Slavery Art: Artwork With Quite a History
All over the world there has been artwork that deals with difficult subjects. Sometimes, when something is considered taboo or it is just too hard to open up lines of dialogue, artwork is used to express these thoughts and feelings. One example of depicting struggle is slavery art, which has been created by many cultures and countries that have had these tragic situations brought upon them. Slavery art comes in many forms, whether it is paintings, sculptures, pottery, or any other kind of art. Here is some of the artwork that has been created in the past by some of these cultures. Hopefully their slavery art helped them to better understand the times and served as a healing agent to them. 1. Bussa Emancipation Statue – This is a sculpture that is displayed publicly in Barbados. The artwork depicts a slave rebellion leader, although a specific person was not intended to be shown. Many residents of Barbados refer to the statue as Bussa because of a slave that helped start a revolution in the island-nation in 1816. The slavery art was sculpted by Karl broodhagen in 1985 to represent freedom and the breaking of chains. The artwork was created nearly … Continue reading
Using the Museum to Remember Slavery
The need for a museum to house depictions of American slavery exists in a major way. What African Americans in this country went through for multiple centuries is mind boggling, and having a museum to remember the pain and anguish that was felt during these times can help assure that it never happens again. There are quite a few museums that have dedicated themselves to memorializing the struggle, as well as providing insight into African American history. Here are just a few of the museums that include slavery as one of their main focal points. 1. Afro-American Historical and Cultural Society Museum – This museum, as their name suggests, does not only deal with slavery. Located in Jersey City, New Jersey, they also teach visitors about the history and culture of African descendants in this country (with its focus on the city itself), there is plenty of information about the civil rights movement, and the underground railroad’s role in the end of slavery as well. 2. African American Museum and Library at Oakland – This is another museum that increases awareness about a number of African American issues, with slavery being one of them. The library has entire archives that … Continue reading
Why the U.S. Slavery Museum Needs Our Support
The United States Slavery Museum has been proposed as a memorial that would be located in Washington D.C. at the downtown Mall. The idea has been mulled over for quite some time, and there has been a website dedicated to slavery museum since 2001. Slavery history is very important for all citizens of the U.S. to be familiar with, and this memorial will be doing its part to help this information reach the masses. Even though slavery history is a subject that may make people uncomfortable, it is still a part of our nation’s past and needs to be dealt with. Here are some of the top reasons why we should all support the United States Slavery Museum and spread the issue of slavery history as widely as possible. 1. Educate future generations – The citizens of the future will become more and more disconnected from slavery history with every single year that passes. We need to make sure that things like this never happen again in this country, and the slavery museum will be a valuable tool in assuring that much. As the famous philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat … Continue reading
The Artwork of Thomas Nast
Art can be a great way to express emotion, and can give people a good understanding of a time period or event, even if they are viewing the piece hundreds of years later. An example of this is the artwork of Thomas Nast, whose most famous art came about during the American Civil War. Nast was ahead of his time on a number of issues and that showed in many of his drawings. He was a very big supporter of Abraham Lincoln and his artwork played a significant role in the abolitionist movement. Here are some of his most famous works of art, depicting some of the most important parts of the Civil War and slavery in general. 1. Emancipated Slave Family – It is very interesting to see joy captured on a piece of paper or on a canvas, and this artwork does just that. It depicts a family reading about the Emancipation Proclamation and shows their reaction as they realize that they are finally free. This is a monumental moment in history that will be remembered forever because of the art dedicated to it. This particular artwork was drawn in 1863. 2. Southern Plantation Slaves Being Freed – … Continue reading
Famous Pieces of Slavery Art
Visiting a museum exhibit can teach people a lot more about history than many believe. Browsing through a museum exhibit can teach people about ancient Egyptian pharaohs, Roman rulers, and Greek philosophies. We do not have the ability to speak to people from the past, but we do have ways to understand their mindsets, struggles, and lives, and that is through the viewing and interpretation of art in a museum exhibit. Although the United States is a relatively young country, nearly half of its existence has been plagued by inhumanity. Because it was not that long ago, we still have a good idea about the awful and disgusting time of slavery, but in the future it may not be as clear as it is now. One way to preserve an understanding of that time period is through slavery art, which has gained quite a bit of popularity over the years. Below are some of the most famous pieces of slavery art available for viewing at a museum exhibit. 1. Abraham Lincoln and Emancipated Slaves – This piece of slavery art is a drawing that was created by Thomas Nast. It depicts a visit by Abraham Lincoln to Richmond, Virginia which … Continue reading
Which Museum Has a Popular Slavery Art Exhibit?
Having depictions of slavery in a museum has been controversial in the past, but teaching people about the cruelty that occurred in previous years is very important. This opinion is obviously shared by the many museums that exist in the world, because the number of works that are displayed in a slavery art exhibit in these museums is not a small amount by any means. For those that have an interest in seeing an art exhibit that is displaying many interesting works of art dealing in slavery, here are some of the places you can go to view them. See if there is a museum close to your area. 1. Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery, Inc. – This is a gallery has an art exhibit that shows African history, an art exhibit that teaches visitors about the underground railroad, an art exhibit that explains the contributions that were made by African Americans in the building of the United States, and many more. The museum is located in Sandy Spring, Maryland where it hosts many visitors for most of the year. They even host two open houses every year where fees are waived completely. 2. International Slavery Museum … Continue reading
Do Slavery Depictions Belong In an Art Museum?
The question of whether pieces of art that depict slavery have a place in an art museum has been debated for quite some time. Slavery was a very dark period in American history, along with every other nation that partook in this inhumane and cruel practice. There are viable arguments for both sides of this controversial subject, and knowing why people feel the way they do about this type of content being in an art museum may give somebody a better understanding of their own feelings on it. Here are some reasons why people are for or against slavery artwork being displayed at an art museum. Against: Some believe that slavery is not something that people should be gathering around to look at. The disgusting acts that took place in our history should be left in the past, not stared at as a form of entertainment. Visiting an art museum to see the struggles of slaves is offensive. For: A reason why many people believe that slavery artwork does belong in an art museum is because these events did occur, and the depictions are a constant reminder of that. Without knowing and studying our history, we may end up making … Continue reading