NEWS

NEWBERRY — Newberry College’s Wessels Library will feature a collection of drawings remembering the lives of African American children in late 19th-century America.

The collection, by West Columbia artist Mary Burkett, will be on display Feb. 3-14. The exhibition is sponsored by the Newberry College Multicultural Committee.

“Dr. Peggy Winder, chair of the multicultural committee, played a huge role making the arrangements to bring Mary Burkett’s exhibition to campus,” said Dr. Natasha Ferguson Dennison, associate professor of sport professions and a member of the committee. “Since Dr. Winder is on sabbatical this semester, all committee members have worked together to iron out the details.”

According to Burkett’s website, the collection includes 14 portraits, drawn from photographs of enslaved and free children in the second half of the 19th century. She began the work in December 2017 to “give a small glimpse into the real lives of children in the last years of slavery and the early years following its abolition.”

“We are excited to have the opportunity to host the exhibit to commemorate Black History Month,” said Dennison. “Mrs. Burkett has conducted extensive research and through her hand-drawn portraits, she was able to honor the identities of each of the selected, beautiful African American children.”

The College will host a conversation with the artist Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. in Wessels Library. The exhibition and the conversation are free and open to the public.