Embracing Blackness: Diasporic Union
Customs House Museum & Cultural Center
May 10 – July 29, 2025
Reception: Saturday, May 10, 5-7 p.m.
Panel & Performance: Thursday, July 10, 5-7 p.m.
Gallery Hours: Tues-Sat: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. || Sun: 1 p.m. –5 p.m
Curators:
Karlota I. Contreras-Koterbay, Director, Slocumb Galleries, East Tennessee State University
Carlton Wilkinson, Photographer & Tennessee Craft Governing Board Member
The Crafting Blackness series of exhibitions began with the 100-year history of black craft artists in Tennessee, 1920-2022, which is a research project by BIPOC art historian and curator Karlota Contreras-Koterbay. The exhibition covers a century of craftmaking history by African Americans in the state of Tennessee.
Artist Listing
- Ludie Amos
- Alice Aida Ayers
- Seyi Babalola
- Olasubomi Aka-Bashorun
- Marteja Bailey
- Omari Booker
- Brittney Boyd Bullock
- LeXander Bryant
- Jane Buis
- Landry Butler
- Bill Capshaw
- Gail Clemons
- Tina Curry
- Samuel Dunson
- Kimberly Dummons
- William Edmondson
- Amanda Ewing
- Jason Flack
- Cynthia Gadsden
- Earline Green
- Bessie Harvey
- Alicia Henry
- Barbara Hodges
- Leroy Hodges
- Tobertha Jackson
- Jay (3 Woke) Jenkins
- Alexis Jones
- Henry Jones
- Ted Jones
- Gediyon Kifle
- Wilson Lee, Jr.
- Dashawn Lewis
- Hattie Marshall-Duncan
- Wokie Massaquoi-Wicks
- Aundra McCoy
- Rod McGaha
- Armon Means
- Lester Merriweather
- LaKesha Moore
- Andrew Morrison
- Elisheba Mrozik
- Michael Mucker
- Althea Murphy-Price
- Calvin Nicely
- Sammie Nicely
- Jairo Prado
- Greg Ridley
- Christine Roth
- Ashley Seay
- Thandiwe Shiphrah
- Lorenzo Swinton
- Betty Turner
- Maya Turner
- Gary White
- Ramona Wiggins
- Carlton Wilkinson
- Donna Woodley
- Kevin Wurm
CRAFTING BLACKNESS 