ETSU Art & Design and Tipton & Slocumb Galleries’ Student Activities Allocation Committee (SAAC) Collaborative Project presents “Y’all Don’t Hear Me: The Black Appalachia” curated by alumna Kreneshia Whiteside-McGee, featuring 26 multimedia artists, poets and musicians from the 13 states of the Appalachian region.
This exhibit is on display from Aug. 18 to Sept. 26 at Slocumb Galleries and Sept. 1 to Oct. 7 at Tipton Gallery.
Kreneshia Whiteside-McGee explained in a press release that the title of this project was inspired by her grandfather pastor and as, “a statement by someone who feels disregarded.”
Whiteside-McGee explained, “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.”
Featured artists include Amanda Banks, Kamau Bostic, Jabari Browne, Kywaun Davenport, Nikki Giovanni, Laiza Fuhrmann, Genesis the Greykid, Frederick Johnson and Ashely Jones.
First Friday events are very important to Tipton Gallery. That is when they engage in their public engagement events, this time including an opening and closing reception on Sept. 2 and Oct. 7 from 6 to 8 p.m.
They will also be showing the film “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” by RaMell Ross on Sept. 14 in the Ball Hall auditorium at 7 p.m. Face painting and performance by Infinity Reggae during Umoja Festival on Sept. 10 from 12 to 8 p.m. at the King Commons Park will also be taking place during this time of public engagement alongside the “Y’all Don’t Hear Me” exhibit.
The “Y’all Don’t Hear Me: The Black Appalachia” exhibitions and public events are interdisciplinary collaborations with the ETSU Black American Studies, the Bert C. Bach Written Word Initiative, College of Arts & Sciences’ Office of the Dean, the Mary V. Jordan Multicultural Center, Department of Appalachian Studies, Language Culture Resource Center, Film & Media Studies, Radio, TV & Film (RTVF), Equity & Inclusion, Umoja, The Bottom Knox, Sankofa Fund, Black Faculty & Staff Association and the Langston Centre.
