LOUISVILLE, Ky. — We’re two weeks away from Juneteenth, marking 158 years since enslaved Black people were declared free in Galveston, Texas. The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage is holding an art exhibition to further educate the public on the Black experience.
The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage was founded in 1994 in Louisville with a goal of preserving African American sites, community and culture. For the second year, its executive director, Aukram Burton is holding an art exhibition called “Celebrating the Black Experience.”
“The artists are what tell our story,” said Burton.
Thirty artists are telling the story of the Black experience and diversity of African descendants through visual arts at the Heritage Center, Burton said. Some featured artists include Alexandria Leona Edison, John Roach, Ronald Claxton, Tomisha Lovely-Allen, Norma Drish and many more.
“Norma Drish is from St. Croix. Some of these pictures by the beach just the tile work,” said Burton.
Burton has been the executive director at the heritage center since 2013. He believes art like this shows a counter-narrative of Black people.
“We suffer so much image abuse in the media. Part of what we try to do is to educate the general public about the horrors of the slave trade, but to understand that we survived that,” Burton said. “And we’re here today and so, we have to tell our stories and that’s where the counter-narrative comes in.”
Burton knows exactly what image abuse means because the Philadelphia native and Louisville transplant is a filmmaker and former diversity specialist for Jefferson County Public Schools.
Images in the exhibition reflect Black excellence and pride—something he wishes more people were taught.
“People don’t know who they are. The schools don’t teach who we are. The schools focus on the negative part, the most difficult part of our history,” said Burton.
For next year’s exhibition, Burton wants to feature more artwork and include international artists. Already several paintings have sold. The original works of art range from $100-$15,000.
People can browse the exhibition Monday through Friday during the heritage center’s regular hours of operations until June 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Or during their 2023 Juneteenth Weekend Heritage Experience in partnership with the Juneteenth Jubilee Commission.
On Saturday, June 17, the Fannie Lou Hamer Story stage play can be seen at 7 p.m. On the following Sunday, a Father’s Day & Juneteenth Jazz brunch will happen at 2 p.m. Both events are ticketed, for event information people can contact Marjorie Marshall at 502-271-9228 or visit this website.