EXHIBITION RECORD

Community Stories: Self-Taught Art from the Hill Collection

Tuesday, November 23, 2004 through Sunday, January 23, 2005

This exhibition represents a collection of 19 self-taught artists from the Southeastern region of the United States. These artists have created works through painting, collage, drawing, and mixed media assemblages. Sponsored by a grant through the National Endowment of the Arts, the Mary Brogan Museum of Arts and Sciences organized this exhibit, whose thematic focus is “community.” These artists seek community through the act of making art by inviting neighbors and passersby to take a look. They describe community through their objects: look for the people, animals, scenes, and landscapes that make up their backyards. They connect to a broader community by inviting the public to see and interpret their stories. Rich tales accompany each object, and although not readily obvious at first observation, stories permeate each object with the heart and soul of the creator.
Self-taught artists are often better known in larger markets than their own back yard. However, our world is increasingly shrinking due to technology and expansion into rural areas is inevitable. These artists' stories are a part of the heritage of the rural South. Preserving it, as we preserve historical structures, folk music, and the like reveal the history of this region.