This WPHL collaboration with the Hampton Art Lovers and Historic Ward Rooming House Gallery is ongoing and began in 2021. The first iteration consisted of four Story Gathering Saturdays, held from August to October of 2021. These community events collected and preserved oral histories of Black families and the Great Migration, which echoed and complemented our partners’ curated exhibition, “One Way Ticket: Movement, Migrations and Liberty.” That exhibition explored stories of freedom and liberty through the poetry of Langston Hughes and artwork of Jacob Lawrence, with other works from Charles White, Basil Watson, John Biggers, Charles Alston, David Driskell, Leroy Campbell, Anthony Reed II (Mojo) and Marvin Weeks. These free community events featured live jazz and fish fry courtesy of Captain Gooch.
The second iteration of this collaboration took place in August 2023, during the run of the exhibition Black Card: Featuring the Work of Brandon Clarke. The WPHL team was on-site at the Ward Rooming House gallery collecting stories of patrons on their own sense of identity. "Black Card: Transactions in Cultural Currency," showcased the artistic talent of Brandon Clarke. The night also featured a special story gathering session, hosted by the Wolfsonian Public Humanities Lab. This session delved into the oral histories of identity politics, fostering meaningful connections among the attendees. (we have these stories and images on the hard drive)
Event co-sponsored by Art of Black Miami, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency (SEOPW CRA).