Visual Arts Exhibits

In addition to it research and preservation roles, the National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Studies also supports the visual arts and artists. The Center exposes the region to regionally and nationally know artists, and offers opportunities to tap into the inspiration of these artists through workshops and other events. The National Center regularly hosts travelling art exhibits featuring individual artists and artist groups. In addition to these individual galleries, the National Center hosts annual shows by the National Alliance of Artists from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the Montgomery Artists Consortium, Inc.

In addition to the traveling and annual exhibitions, the National Center frequently displays pieces from its ever-growing collection. This collection includes a variety of artists, both regionally and nationally known, and showcases many visual styles and media. Two highlights from this permanent collection are its two murals. There is the two-part indoor mural project by Vincent Morgan, which illustrates in one part the events, places, and personalities of the Civil Rights Movement, while the second part is inspired by The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It, by Jo Ann Robinson. There is also the ongoing outdoor mural project, located outside the National Center Annex. This series of panels is connected by the theme, “Journey to Freedom,” and illustrates Black history from Africa to the present, with an emphasis on the history of Alabama State University.