“Breaking the Chains of Forgetfulness” is an art exhibition at the President James K. Polk Home and Museum, which opened on March 22 and is running through October 2024. The exhibit is located in the Presidential Hall, adjacent to the historic home.
It is a tribute to unsung heroes of Tennessee’s history, as envisioned by artist and exhibit curator Bernice Davidson. The work of Tennessee artists Jemma Perran, and Michael McBride are also featured in the show.
Davidson says, “This show is a twofold tribute to the 60 people who were enslaved at the Polk plantations and home, and 9 unsung heroes, whose stories relate to our area of Middle Tennessee.”
How it all started
In 2023, Ms. Davidson took part in an outdoor exhibition at the James K. Polk Home and Museum, displaying a painting calling attention to a beloved historical figure of Maury County from the 1940s, hunting and fishing guide Will Evans.
This brought her in contact with Kate Gunn, current curator of the Polk Home and Museum, and the idea of creating an exhibition that would call attention to the unsung heroes of Middle Tennessee, in particular the men and women who served the Polk family as enslaved people, began to take shape.
The exhibition is an extension of Davidson’s 20+ year Unsung Heroes Projects, which features indoor and outdoor murals and paintings across Middle Tennessee. Several of these installations have been reproduced for the Polk Home exhibit.
Some of the unsung heroes whose stories are featured include lawyer Z. Alexander Looby, Nanye’hi (Nancy Ward), Matt Gardner, Cherokee Sequoya, Wilma Mankiller, Tom Hendrix and Te-lah-nay, Mack Pinkleton, Will Evans, Mark Madrid, and Elias, Mariah, and Matilda Polk who were all enslaved by the Polk family.
From the artist:
“My mission is to create a feeling of respect, appreciation. and unity through imagery and storytelling. In the 70’s I saw firsthand, how the movie Roots inspired a neighbor who harbored racist thoughts, into reaching out to his black coworker, creating a lasting deep friendship.
I realized at that time that art can make a difference. It must be balanced by addressing both the dark side of history and the light. Each hero chosen for this exhibit has a moving story that I hope will open the hearts of all who experience this art.”
This piece by Ms. Davidson (shown above) depicts the women who worked in the kitchen, a building behind the Polk home. Angels look down from above shedding tears of grief, and carry home into their loving hands one who did not survive.
The image is from a sketch drawing reproduced as a print on fabric turned into a quilt, such as may have provided warmth on the bed of an enslaved person.
It utilizes a stuffing technique of quilting called “Trapunto,” from the Italian for “to quilt.” Trapunto utilizes at least two layers, in which the underside is slit and padded, producing a raised or puffy surface on the quilt.
Working in the same format, a second quilt highlights Adinkra symbols of the Akan People of Ghana, West Africa. Each symbol represent a community value or proverb.
Other Featured Artists
Jemma Perran has been a hospice chaplain and counselor for more than 29 years and her art has brought peace, comfort, healing and served as a tool for reflection throughout her life.
The Adinkra symbols, featured in Perran’s work in this exhibition, struck a personal chord with her and are a tribute to the African American ancestors enslaved by the Polk estate.
Michael McBride is a native Tennessean and an award winning artist and instructor of art at Tennessee State University.
He has been the lead artist on many community-based mural projects in Nashville, Tennessee.
McBride was featured in Visions of My People, sixty years of African American art in Tennessee, an exhibit organized by the Tennessee State Museum and one of his pieces was purchase for their permanent collection.
To learn more about this exhibition, visit the James K. Polk Home and Museum website.
Admission to the exhibit is included in the price of regular and group admission rates.
Also at the Polk Museum: “Breaking the Chains of Forgetfulness” Exhibit Speaker Series events.
These events are free and open to the public.
April 11, 6 PM – Live with Your Head in the Lion’s Mouth: The Complex Life of Elias Polk
Zacharie Kinslow will examine the interesting and controversial life of Elias Polk. Once enslaved to President James K. and First Lady Sarah Polk, Elias rose from bondage to become a leading black conservative in the American South through supporting the southern Democrats, who earlier enslaved him and his people. Kinslow’s research on Elias Polk reveals a pragmatic and complex figure who did what he felt was necessary to survive in post-Civil War in America while also working actively secure and perpetuate African-American economic independence and political thought.
Where:
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church is located next door to the Polk Home at 311 W. 7th Street. Parking is available in the lot directly behind the church. Use the stairway at the front of the parking lot to enter the Parish Hall.
Handicap parking is available along Frierson Street. Use the ramp in front of the building, and turn left toward the Parish Hall. Enter using the large double doors.
