Art Show at Webster University to Mark 10 Years Since the Ferguson Protests

“Ferguson and Beyond: Artistic Responses to a Decade of Social Upheaval 2014-2024” captures the power of individual and cultural histories brought forth by the killing of Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson, MO, nearly 10 years ago and the ensuing response locally and from around the world in the decade following his death. The exhibition is comprised of painting, sculpture, video, and poetry with a focus on responses from artists of color from the St. Louis region and beyond. It opens with an artist reception for the public from 5:30—8 p.m. on March 22, 2024, and runs through April 26 in the Hunt Gallery on Webster’s main campus.

Brown’s father Michael Brown, Sr. and stepmother Cal D. Brown will speak at the opening reception at 6:30 p.m. March 22 alongside Ferguson mayor Ella M. Jones. A performance by Webster University music professor Jermaine Manor will be part of the opening reception. 

The exhibition also recognizes the role expressive arts play in healing from trauma and the centrality of collective healing in communities impacted by adverse traumatic experiences. A space for communal reflection will be offered during the opening reception and Webster mental health professionals will be present to provide support.

“The issues explored through the art in this show are universal and reach far beyond Ferguson,” said St. Louis filmmaker William Morris, who co-curated the show with Webster Adjunct Professor Terri F. Reilly and Webster alumna Lillian Gardner. “The high quality of the work in the show represents significant intellectual engagement with the subject and marks an important point in history. It reflects more than a moment in history. It is a sampling of the rippling effect that occurred because of that moment.” 

Participating artists include Dannie Boyd, Damon Davis, Lillian Gardner, Cheeraz Gormon, Jon Henry, William Morris, Mallory Rukhsana Nezam, Yvonne Osei, Hank Willis Thomas, and Ronald Young. The Missouri Historical Society also has given permission to print Ferguson Uprising images from its African American History Initiative collection for the show. Poets include DuEwa Frazier, Jacqui Germain, Aya de Leon, Jason Vasser-Elong as well as Gormon.

Overall, the exhibit, which Reilly conceived, is designed to explore the artistic responses to a decade of social upheaval that began in 2014 to today in the United States, with a specific focus on policing and racial and ethnic injustices as well as other social justice issues, Reilly said. “Since the death of Michael Brown, Jr., and then the death of George Floyd, we have seen a response in the artistic community that can be compared to the historic Black Arts Movement, which also was born during a pronounced time of social upheaval.” Reilly intends to publish her research on the subject.

Accompanying the exhibit will be the DADAH Artists’ Lecture “Ferguson and Beyond: Artistic Responses” held at noon on March 22 in Room 123 in the Sverdrup Complex on Webster University’s main campus. The lecture will feature exhibiting artists Henry and Gormon along with Ferguson professional volunteer Jacquelyn Lewis-Harris and Webster University Professional Counseling Professor Claire Martin. Henry and Gormon will discuss their art, Lewis-Harris will talk about what it was to be “on the ground” in Ferguson, and Martin will discuss trauma and healing. 

During the exhibit, audio and film crews will capture oral histories, reflections, and interviews, for the “Ferguson and Beyond: Digital Archive Project” being produced by Morris and Reilly as an ongoing project.

What: Ferguson and Beyond: Artistic Responses to a Decade of Social Upheaval 2014-2024
When: March 22 – April 26
Where: Webster University’s Cecille R. Hunt Gallery, 8342 Big Bend Blvd, St. Louis, 63119
Key Times: 12 p.m., March 22 - “Ferguson and Beyond: Artistic Responses” – Sverdrup Building, Room 123; 5:30 p.m. March 22 – Artist Reception, Hunt Gallery.