UT’s McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture will celebrate Knoxville’s rich history of activism and diversity during a family and community day related to its current exhibition, For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights. The event will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, September 29.
This celebration features a round-table discussion with area residents who participated in the local civil rights movement and UT students currently engaged in the strife for equality. The discussion will be facilitated by Brandon Winford, a UT professor of history who specializes in civil rights and black business. The museum hopes to bring attention to the variety of local and generational stories that relate to the exhibition’s themes.
The program also will encourage visitors to participate in art activities and demonstrations. Business owner and UT alumna Sarah Shebaro of Striped Light letterpress shop will conduct a workshop, “Creating a Poster for Positive Change.” Artist W. James Taylor will lead an interactive craft for children, and museum staff will offer guided tours of For All the World to See, with additional craft projects connected to specific sections of the exhibition.
The event is a collaboration between on- and off-campus communities. A notable example is Joe Valentine, community organizer and partner, whose work has been an integral part of connecting the museum with youth groups, churches, afterschool programs, and other local institutions.
“I volunteered to be a part of the planning committee because I was born and raised in East Knoxville and am old enough to remember when we could not even stand in front of the Tennessee Theatre to catch the bus,” she said.
The Office of Multicultural Student Life will be involved in the event, and the League of Women Voters will host an information table on voter registration.
For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights has been made possible through NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment of the Humanities. It has been adapted and is being toured by Mid-America Arts Alliance. For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rightswas organized by the Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in partnership with the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution.
The local showing of the exhibition is sponsored by UT’s Ready for the World initiative with additional support from Knox County, the City of Knoxville, and the Arts and Heritage Fund.
The McClung Museum is located at 1327 Circle Park Drive. Museum admission is free, and the museum’s hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Free two-hour museum parking passes are available from the parking kiosk at the entrance to Circle Park Drive during the week. Free parking is available on the weekends, and free public transportation to the museum is available via the Knoxville Trolley Orange Line Monday through Saturday.See the museum’s website for more information about family programming, parking, and collections and exhibits.
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CONTACTS:
Callie Bennett (865-974-2144, croller2@utk.edu)
Leslie Chang-Jantz (865-974-3662, lcjantz@utk.edu)
Zack Plaster (865-773-8845, zplaster@utk.edu)