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20 North Gallery
Presents Black History Month 2012: Legacy – Peggy Grant’s
35th Annual Exhibit
Downtown gallery pays tribute to iconic arts visionary, with
exhibition of local, regional and national artists in the
longest-running Black History Month art event in Toledo
On Friday, January 27th, 20 North Gallery will
open Black History Month 2012: Legacy – Peggy Grant’s 35th
Annual Exhibit. 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 17 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, 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 35th Annual Exhibit will be 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; Brenda Price;
Robert E. Shorter; Ramon R. Tiggs; 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.
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