Legacy: A Black History Month Celebration

Eye On Art  |  02/20/2012 7:00 am

20 North Gallery opened its Black History Month 2012: Legacy ? Peggy Grant’s 35^th Annual Exhibit on January 27th.  The show will continue through Saturday, March 10, 2012. The exhibition was founded by Peggy Grant (current Art Director of 20 North Gallery) in 1977, shortly after Congress enacted legislation recognizing the month of February as Black History Month in the United States.  Since then, the show has been exhibited throughout various locations in the Toledo community and now, for seventeen years, is proudly presented by 20 North Gallery.  This event has become an integral part of Toledo’s Black History Month celebrations?and in recognizing the contributions and accomplishments of prominent African-American artists and leaders in our community.

Each year’s exhibit showcases art work of the best Black artists of our region, as well as many nationally recognized artists.  In addition, 20 North Gallery facilitates school visits and participatory workshops given by visiting artists in local elementary and secondary schools.  Other related events during the run of this exhibit have included live poetry readings at 20 North Gallery featuring African-American poets, storytelling, and live musical performances.  The exhibit and outreach are made possible by the lifetime of support paid to this groundbreaking exhibition by its founder, Peggy Grant.

Peggy Grant states, “Growing up in America’s South, the way of life I witnessed was greatly divided by the social and racial barriers that were in place at the time.  When I came to the Toledo-area pursuing my art career, I was astounded by the opportunities to make friends with people of all races and cultures.  My mission since arriving in the Midwest has been to support Black artists in the Toledo Area who had not been previously recognized by the mainstream art culture.”  Since that time in the mid-1950s, Mrs. Grant has actively promoted the work and professional careers of such noted artists as LeMaxie Glover, Marvin Vines and Wil Clay, among others.  Her corporate curatorial work at Owen-Illinois provided a platform for many regional artists to exhibit their work in an international venue, giving greater recognition to African-American artists of our community.

Displayed in Black History Month 2012: Legacy ? Peggy Grant’s 35^th Annual Exhibit is the work of many celebrated Toledo-area artists, including: Aaron S. Bivins; Charles T. Gabriel, Jr.; Alice Grace; Ronald Jamison; Elizabeth V. Jordan; Marcus Nunn; Ahavalyn Pitts; Brenda Price; Robert E. Shorter; Mack Walton; Warren and Yolanda Woodberry; as well as works by Wade Harrison of Atlanta, Georgia; John Wade III from Ft. Wayne, Indiana and paintings and original book illustrations by the late Wil Clay of Toledo.