An exhibition that was originally cancelled due to funding cuts under the Trump administration has found a new venue in Fairfax, Virginia. On September 13, 2023, Before the Americas opened at the Gillespie Gallery, part of the George Mason University School of Art. The show features the work of 39 artists from 17 countries, including renowned figures such as Amy Sherald, Renee Stout, and Elizabeth Catlett.
Curated by Cheryl Edwards, the exhibition explores themes of ancestral memory, migration, and interconnectivity within African American, Afro-Latino, and Caribbean communities. The works encompass various mediums, including sculpture, printmaking, and book art. Edwards expressed her relief upon the exhibition’s opening, stating it felt like “Bob Marley’s Redemption Song.”
Initially scheduled for the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, D.C., the exhibition faced cancellation after it was labeled a “DEI program and event” by the Trump administration, which withdrew previously secured funding. President Trump’s executive order on his first day in office targeted initiatives aimed at promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, impacting numerous cultural programs across the country.
The cancellation came just weeks before the planned March 21 opening, four years after the exhibition was first commissioned. In light of these challenges, Edwards sought alternative funding, rallying support from approximately 50 to 60 donors to enable the exhibition’s relocation to its new home. “It really brought us closer together as an art community,” she noted, emphasizing the collective importance of art and culture in society.
Upon learning of the exhibition’s termination, Donald Russell, director of Mason Exhibitions, promptly offered the Gillespie Gallery as a new venue. Russell, who had previously collaborated with Edwards, expressed his commitment to supporting the exhibition. “I was absolutely prepared to take it on,” he stated.
The exhibition’s artwork is characterized by vibrant colors and dynamic compositions, capturing the rich history of African-descendant artists. Highlights include Lois Mailou Jones’s striking 1996 silkscreen print of three African dancers and Elizabeth Catlett’s “Niña” (1957), depicting the profile of a young girl. “The history of African-descendant artists does not begin with slavery,” Edwards emphasized, underscoring the exhibition’s intent to broaden the narrative of African heritage.
Before the Americas will remain at the Gillespie Gallery until November 15, 2023, before moving to the University of Maryland Global Campus in February 2024, where it will be on display until May. Additional locations for the exhibition are yet to be confirmed.
Edwards recognizes the ongoing threats to cultural expression and the necessity for resilience in the arts. “Because things are being erased,” she remarked, “I think as an artist, and as a cultural worker, it is our duty to create right now and document this moment in history.”
Reflecting on the current landscape of the arts, she describes the exhibition as embodying “radical beauty.” Edwards asserts the vital role of inclusive art and culture, stating, “There’s no way that I can say personally I would want to live in a place without art and without culture that includes everyone that is multicultural.”