Tougaloo College Art Gallery
The Bennie G. Thompson Academic & Civil Rights Research Center

In commemoration of the 1960s rally cry “Freedom Now” and the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Now: The Call and Look of Freedom spotlights the urgency, self-determination, and hope of the African-American liberation movement through the visual arts. Drawing from the holdings of Tougaloo College, the Mississippi Museum of Art, and private collections, this inaugural exhibition of the Art & Civil Rights Initiative underscores the interrelationship of our past and current civil and human rights struggles. Now features works of art by leading figures whose careers have centered on the African-American experience, such as Elizabeth Catlett, Romare Bearden, Betye Saar, and Ernest Withers, as well as expressions by younger artists. As the exhibition explores the abrupt yet protracted nature of this “now,” it highlights issues of identity, power, and the profound desire to live freely.

Curated by La Tanya Autry, former Curator of Art & Civil Rights for the Mississippi Museum of Art and Tougaloo College.

“When many people think of black freedom, they recall documentary-style photography of black people at marches or black people being victimized by police or dogs,” said Autry. “Now challenges these typical conceptions by highlighting a range of visual representations. Protest imagery is important of course. But freedom involves people enjoying their lives. We must always also consider images of black people living and thriving when we discuss freedom.”

#NOWFreedomACRI

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This exhibition is presented as part of the Art & Civil Rights Initiative, a partnership of the Mississippi Museum of Art and Tougaloo College that presents joint exhibitions and programs, and facilitates increased scholarship surrounding the Tougaloo Art Collection. The Art & Civil Rights Initiative is supported by the Henry Luce Foundation.