"Holler If You See Me: Black Appalachia" Exhibit

The Kansas City Kansas Community College Art Gallery’s first exhibition in 2023 is an artistic exploration of Black Appalachian culture. In celebration of the exhibition, there will be a virtual artist talk for “Holler If You See Me: Black Appalachia” from 11 a.m. to Noon Feb. 21 in the art gallery. The talk can also be seen on the art gallery’s Facebook page. Additionally, a closing reception will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. March 31. The gallery is in the Jewell Center on the KCKCC Main Campus, 7250 State Ave. The event is free and open to the public. The exhibition runs until March 31. The exhibition features 10 Black Appalachian artists’ efforts for inclusion, equality and negotiating self amidst systematic disenfranchisement, violence and loss. The artists’ quests for self-determination are aided in art as they reassert their presence, express dissent and acquire empowerment. The exhibit features artists Jonathan Adams, Akintayo Akintobi, Lynn Bachman, Tramel Fain, Pam Faw, Dexter Greenlee, Anissa Lewis, Mary Martin and Travis Prince. The curators are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) Karlota Contreras-Koterbay, director of Slocumb Galleries and Midsouth Sculpture Alliance board member and LGBTQ Lyn Govette, curatorial fellow. Slocumb Galleries explore the nuanced identities of the Black bodies from various Appalachian states through the lens of ‘Black Diaspora,’ displacement and trauma.