Still Raising Hell: The Art, Activism, and Archives of Camille Billops and James V. Hatch

"What will be our own contribution to the maintenance of the history of African Americans in the arts?"

—Pellom McDaniels, III, PhD, Curator of African American Collections

Overview

• Exhibition dates: Sept. 2016—May 2017

• Client: Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, & Rare Book Library, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

• Curator: Pellom McDaniels, III, PhD, Curator of African American Collections

• Collections: Camille Billops and James V. Hatch archives

My Role

I worked with the curator of African American Collections to design an exhibition that would evoke the unique personalities of Billops and Hatch, as well as offer visitors varied opportunities to engage with material from their archives. I worked on these aspects of the exhibition:

1. Creative direction

2. Graphic design

3. Front end web design

4. Content development and management

5. Communications & marketing collateral

Goals & Challenges

The curator had a vision to present original materials in cases as well as reproductions in large wall murals. I helped identify the best setting for these materials to achieve the intended effect. I advised on the color palette and advocated for the black backdrops. Working with the existing black marble walls, the newly painted matte black floating walls achieve a sense of cohesion and drama. The atmosphere of the gallery evoked the power of the work of the artist-activists in a visceral way.