Exhibitions

Y’ALL DON’T HEAR ME: THE BLACK APPALACHIA

UT Downtown Gallery / 106 S. Gay St. March 1 - April 6th

Kamau Bostic, Nikki Giovannim Inez Gratten, Genesis The Greykid, Mikael Owunna, Travis Prince, Justin Rocha, RaMell Ross, Jessica Scott-Felder, Moses Sumney, Raymond Thompson Jr.

"The exhibition title was inspired by my late grandfather, Floyd Whiteside, a retired pastor from Muscle Shoals, Alabama who resided in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He would often use the phrase in his sermons when the spirit was moving or when he wanted to make sure the congregation was keeping up. While preparing for the exhibition and thinking of home, his words kept ringing in my ear. Y’all Don’t Hear Me is a statement by someone who feels disregarded, and to me, that resonates with the Black Appalachian community. You don’t hear us because you’re not listening; you’re not listening because you don’t know we exist. I want to amplify our narrative and remind people that there are quality artists creating in the mountains.

Although the base of the project is visual arts, other recognized components of the Appalachia are music and language. Together, each of these creative components push the exposure of Black artists and add to the ambient experience for the public to better understand our culture.

With Knoxville, TN being the collection’s 3rd touring city and the beloved hometown of writer Nikki Giovanni, I felt that this would be the perfect opportunity to go beyond featuring her work, and exhibit appreciation to Nikki. Giving the world-renowned poet her flowers, if you will."

-Kreneshia Whiteside-McGee