Exhibits
Core Exhibit Galleries
The exhibitions in our permanent galleries bring to life the stories of Black people of the metropolitan St. Louis Region. They help us share their contributions to the country’s development and connect them to America’s story.
The Griot's interpretative program includes life-size wax figures, other art, artifacts, and memorabilia. An authentic slave cabin, originally built on the Wright–Smith Plantation in Jonesburg, Missouri provides a glimpse into the lives of the enslaved. Visitors can solve puzzles, view documentary videos, and “board” a scale model section of a ship that replicates those used to transport Africans to America during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Exhibits with life-size wax figures include Carter G. Woodson, Josephine Baker, Dred and Harriet Scott, Elizabeth Keckley, William Wells Brown, James Milton Turner, Clark Terry, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Rev Earl E. Nance Sr, Miles Davis, Madame CJ Walker, York, Percy Green, Macler Shepard, Chief Sherman George, and others.
In addition to our permanent exhibition, The Griot hosts local and national traveling arts and humanities exhibits. To enhance our community outreach, we sponsor community education projects, gallery talks, and cultural celebrations.
Past Exhibits
In the City: Memories of Black Presence
Collin Elliott, Alana Marie, Shabez Jamal, Tiffany Sutton, Cami Cruz-Thomas, and Nyara Williams
March 26—May 28, 2021
Civil Unrest in Review
September 15 - October 27, 2019
This exhibition, by Chinese-American photographer Eric Pan, featured powerful documentary photographs that showcased the Black Freedom Struggle in St. Louis since the start of the 2014 Ferguson Uprising. The show also included additional photographs, artifacts, and memorabilia from the collection of local activist and artist Richard Reilly.
On October 6, a panel discussion titled “Caught on Camera” provided further exploration of the theme of the exhibit. Reilly was joined by fellow photojournalists Derrick Phillips, Robert Cohen, and Bassem Masri, who recounted their experiences documenting recent civil rights protests in St. Louis.
Listen, Look: A Reconciliatory Journey through Black Grief and Joy
February 2021
"Listen, Look" was a multi-media installation featuring Black, St. Louis-based artists as they contend with the presence of grief and joy in their lives. The installation engaged viewers to discern what it means to be a witness and how to fully face collective “histories of horror” while formulating a worthy future.
Inaugural Juneteenth Celebration
June 18 - July 19, 2018
The Griot launched its Juneteenth programming series with the 40 Acres and a Mule Art Show and Sale on June 19. Co-chaired by Renee Brummell Franklin and Adelia Parker-Castro, the event featured paintings, photographs, collages, and other works donated by more than forty local and international artists. The evening also featured storytelling, live music, cultural refreshments, and costumed docents. The 40 Acres and a Mule Art Show and Sale was both a special fundraising opportunity for The Griot and wonderful chance to celebrate the African-American struggle for freedom and self-determination.
The series continued with “Juneteenth Family and Friends Days” on June 23, June 30, and July 19. The first day featured artist-led workshops, which provided guests with hands-on instruction in quilting, line drawing, collage, and graphic design. Teaching artists included Edna Patterson-Petty, Gundia Lock-Clay, Solomon Thurman, Bill Murphy, and Elaine Young. Both children and adults enjoyed learning new skills and expressing themselves through art.
The Juneteenth celebration series closed with a discussion of Richard Rothstein’s much lauded book, The Color of Law: The Forgotten Story of How Our Government Segregated America (2017), led by attorney Danielle Smith. In a visitor survey, one guest said, “The discussion was enlightening and created an atmosphere that embraced some underlying issues that still exist today.”
Black Women Speak
March 4 - May 5, 2019
Opening in Women’s History Month, this multimedia exhibit showcased art by and about African-American women. Works included paintings, sculptures, quilts, and a video installation. An opening reception featured a spoken word performance and reflections by the contributors.
Featured artists were Alfredia Bailey, Dail Chambers, Stajah Curry, Jasmyn Diggs, Bonnie Edwards, Britny Fernandes, Sheri Hall, Erica Jones, Gundia Lock-Clay, Adelia Parker-Castro, De Nichols, Edna Patterson-Petty, Marilyn Robinson, and Elaine Young.
All the artists included in Black Women Speak had local or regional connections—a fact that many visitors appreciated. “I liked the women artists from St. Louis … being highlighted, making us aware of the grand talent that exists right in our city,” one guest said in response to the exhibit.
A Black Woman Speaks
March 16 - 18, 2019
The Griot collaborated with local theater company, A Call to Conscience, to present this provocative one-woman play directed by Fannie Bell Lebby and starring Thomasina Clarke. The art exhibit Black Women Speak served as a backdrop for the performance. On opening night, Dr. Mary Helen Washington, Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, spoke on the life of playwright Beah Richards. On the day of the final performance, guests enjoyed a scrumptious brunch!
Guests praised the Women’s History Month programming. In a visitor survey, one attendee said, “I enjoyed everything—the brunch, the play, and the museum. I was so inspired that I plan to become more involved.” Another shared, “It was an eye-opener! I cried at the knowledge I learned today.”
