Through more than fifty paintings, sculptures, and works on paper, Black Artists in America: From the Great Depression to Civil Rights introduces Dixon Gallery and Gardens' visitors this fall to the first in a series of three exhibitions depicting the profound impact of African American artists in our country and specifically in our city during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. When planning for this series began, the Dixon enlisted long-time partner and respected colleague Earnestine Jenkins, PhD, to serve as a guest curator, lending her voice and unmatched expertise to this special project. We were delighted to catch up with her behind the scenes of the installation.
A lifelong Memphian, Earnestine's thirst for knowledge and keen interest in history, specifically African American and African Diaspora studies, led her from Whitehaven High School to historic Spelman College where she took her first art history course and earned a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, a program established by the pioneering American artist Hale Woodruff. She returned home to, then, "Memphis State" where she became the first African American student to receive a master's in Art History. For her PhD in African History, Earnestine attended Michigan State and spent nearly two years conducting field research in Ethiopia.
Now back home at the University of Memphis, she is a full-time professor teaching the next generation of master's candidates who are lucky enough to be in the MA program, the only one of its kind in the Mid-South region. In most of her classrooms you can find a few lifetime students who simply audit her classes to learn from her out of sheer enjoyment and respect for her expertise. "I always intended to return to Memphis because this is where I wanted to do the work of arts scholarship. I want to train students, particularly African American students, in the field." Jenkins laments the lack of a PhD program at the University, which would enable the next generation of scholars to research, write and publish in the visual arts disciplines. Noting that until this lack of support for visual arts scholarship is addressed, "Memphis, even with all the progressive achievements accomplished in the arts, especially when it comes to diversity, is still hindered from emerging as the cultural leader - regionally, nationally, and internationally - that it aspires to be."
In 2013, the Dixon purchased Gamin (ca. 1930), a sculpture by Florida-born, Harlem Renaissance sculptor Augusta Savage, the first work of art by a Black American artist to enter the Dixon's permanent collection. Since then, the museum has been strategically augmenting their collection with additional works by Black artists to help tell a richer story of the art produced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. "We have hosted exhibitions that speak to the Black artistic experience, but we knew there was more work to do. Black Artists in America is the first major exhibition on Black American art organized by the Dixon and is a culmination of those efforts, but it is just the beginning," explains Julie Pierotti, Martha R. Robinson Curator. In a sense, Jenkins has been organizing this exhibition series her entire life.
We meandered through the galleries reverently as she greeted each piece like an old friend, eager to explain its significance and personal importance, as only the very best art history teachers do. Many of these works have never been shown publicly, so she was seeing them for the first time in person along with us. The exhibition shines a light on beautiful contributions made to the overall history of American Art by African American artists who were responding to the political, social and economic climate through their work. The Dixon has established partnerships with LeMoyne-Owen College, Second Congregational Church and various private collectors, helping to establish Memphis’ role in the development of Black American art. The museum, with Jenkins leading the charge, will present two additional Black Artists in America exhibitions that will chronologically continue the visual narrative presented in this show during the fall of 2023 and the fall of 2025.
When asked about some of her favorite things to do in Memphis in her spare time, Earnestine's heart-felt response perhaps embodies the very goal of the exhibition and further illustrates why Dr. Jenkins was the perfect person to bring this exhibition to life. "Memphis is my home. My family, my roots, are deeply embedded here. Spiritually, it is to me a uniquely geographical space, an authentic crossroads, defined by the long-term presence of Blacks in this region. Much of the inspiration for my work is about revealing those hidden histories, in relation to broader national and international narratives. So, I don't have favorites. All of Memphis is of significance to me."
The exhibition is on view through January 2, 2022, and the museum is offering free admission through the end of the year.