Anyone visiting the Freedom Center is bound, at one point or another, to come upon a series of 16 black and white portraits, grouped in fours and framed in what looks like copper ribbons, adorning the exterior curved wall of the Harriet Tubman Theater. The portraits are of famous and revered musicians, singers and entertainers, including Harry Belafonte, Woody Guthrie, Bono, Bob Marley, and Pete Seeger, and they were the work of a young local artist, Brian Joiner.

In 2004, as the Freedom Center’s construction was underway, Joiner won a national competition to create a mural for the Theater’s exterior wall. The resulting work is both pleasing and provocative; the subjects are not just artists, but also stalwarts of the civil rights movement.

Joiner — like many artists — had to work in non-artistic jobs to make ends meet. After graduating from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1985, he worked at Ethicon Endosurgery for a dozen years before becoming a full-time artist. Acclaim soon followed. In the late 1990s, Joiner finished a series of 100 portraits of African-American women from all walks of life. The work led to one of his first honors, being named “Best Portrait Artist” in 1999 by Cincinnati Magazine.

As he grew as an artist, Joiner’s work became increasingly bold, and patrons began to take notice. His career was on an upwards trajectory, but tragically, he was diagnosed with liver cancer, the disease that claimed his life on Oct. 8.  He was but 48.

A brief obituary on Brian Joiner in CityBeat captures Joiner’s creative energy and gentle soul. Sad as his passing is, Brian Joiner’s vivid portraits live on for Freedom Center visitors.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center’s new exhibition on modern-day slavery and human trafficking, Invisible: Slavery Today, has drawn the attention of the local and national news media, with strongly positive coverage.

The new exhibition — the first of its kind — opened on Saturday and is housed on the Freedom Center’s east wing, third floor.

The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Mark Curnutte, for example, writes: “The realms of labor, child labor, sex trafficking, domestic servitude and bonded labor — work demanded as repayment of a loan — are humanized by real-life stories that greet visitors to the exhibit warehouse . . .”

Later in the article, he observes: “Slavery remains a scourge.  ‘Invisible’ is designed to keep slavery visible and connect its contemporary applications to its root in America.”

In the New York Times culture critic, Edward Rothstein writes that Invisible reflects an expanding sophistication and relevance of Freedom Center programming.

“The new exhibition,” Rothstein writes, “. . . is a vast improvement, expanding the slavery theme and pointing the way to a more modest social mission. Though much more could have been done, we get a sense of how contemporary slavery differs from what had come before. While slavery had always been about human property — whether taken in conquest or purchased in vast commercial networks — it was, until recently, out in the open, part of the social and legal structure of nearly every society. American slavery was a special case: by surviving the Enlightenment, it was exposed in all its venality.

“But contemporary slavery is something else. It is hidden. And the victims are not institutionalized property but anonymous prisoners. In addition, while slaves once had significant economic value — in the mid-19th-century South, a slave could be worth the modern equivalent of $35,000 — now they are disposable, resembling, as the author Kevin Bales points out, “cheap plastic ballpoint pens.” “

Attention Educators!  Check out the Teacher Thursday Workshop Schedule for the 2010 – 2011 school year.

October 21 – Teaching Black History All Year Long
Join acclaimed visual artist, poet, and performing artist Annie Ruth as she shares tools and ideas on how to effectively and effortlessly incorporate Black History across various subject areas. This workshop will demonstrate innovative arts integration resources that inspire participating educators in utilizing contemporary visual arts, poetry and music and other ideas to help reinforce lessons of Black History across the curriculum.
 
November 18 – Bullying/Teaching Tolerance
Join Charles E. Traylor, founder of Generation to Generation: Breaking the Cycle of Violence, as he provides an interactive, experiential opportunity for participants to explore and confront personal and societal issues related to violence. Participants will develop and/or enhance personal/professional violence prevention/intervention and conflict resolution skills. 
 
February 17 – How to Plan Service Learning Projects
Join Jerry Gels as he provides training on how to plan a service learning project for your students. At the end of the workshop, participants will leave with a bank of ideas for involving students in making a change for a better world tomorrow.
 
March 17 – Using Primary Sources to teach Social Studies
Join staff from the Ohio Historical Society and learn how Primary Sources can be used when teaching social studies.  Participants will be able to create lesson plans to be used in their classrooms so that the situation or topic becomes personal and real. As a result students will be able to participate in human emotions and in the values and attitudes of the past.
 
April 21 – What Does Freedom Mean to Me? Making a Video Documentary
Join NURFC staff as they provide training in the latest techniques for creative  expression and digital publishing across standards-based curriculum areas.  Participants embrace social networking technology and digital media production to incorporate 21st century skills for creation, innovation and digital citizenship.   Advance registration is required.

All workshops are from 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  For more information or to RSVP contact Kieli Ferguson at 513.333.7570 or kferguson@nurfc.org.

Thank you to our 2010 Schooled on Freedom Sponsors:  The John A. Schroth Family Trust, Ohio Lottery Commission, Target, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Woodward Trust

Cincinnati, Ohio, September 16, 2010 — The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is set to open the world’s first permanent, museum-quality exhibition on modern-day slavery and human trafficking.

The exhibition, entitled Invisible: Slavery Today opens on October 9, and will be a permanent installation on the Freedom Center’s third floor east pavilion.

“This is a groundbreaking exhibition, but one entirely in keeping with our Mission of making the historic struggle for freedom relevant and meaningful for today’s audiences,” said Freedom Center CEO Don Murphy.  “It would be nice if slavery had been completely abolished at the end of the Civil War in 1865,” Murphy added.  “But slavery exists today on a global scale, in many forms, and more people than ever are being exploited.  Invisible tells this story in a way that will shock visitors but ultimately inspire them to become modern abolitionists.”

Invisible: Slavery Today was produced with several antislavery organizations, which provided content and guidance.  The partners are Free the Slaves, Goodweave, International Justice Mission and Polaris Project.  Underwriting of the exhibition came from The Skirball Foundation and Lois and Richard Rosenthal.

The exhibition consists of three main exhibition areas:  one (the first) exploring the many forms of modern-day slavery; the second, which details the scope and causes of modern-day slavery, and a final section that provides information on global efforts to combat trafficking and slavery abuses.  The five most common forms of slavery – bonded labor, sex trafficking, child labor, domestic servitude, and forced labor – are explained through the life experiences of real individuals from across the globe.

“Visitors to the Freedom Center since our opening in 2004 always comment about how much they learned about historical slavery and our nation’s early struggle for freedom,” said Dina Bailey, the Freedom Center’s exhibition curator.  “With Invisible, we are comparing and contrasting historical slavery with the ongoing struggle to abolish modern forms of slavery in this country and elsewhere.” 

The new exhibition was designed by Seattle-based Touch Worldwide, and curated by Freedom Center’s Associate Curator, Dina Bailey.

THE ENEMY WITHIN: TERROR IN AMERICA – 1776 TO TODAY OPENS AT THE FREEDOM CENTER SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH

New Exhibition Provides Insight into Terror on American Soil from the Revolutionary War to the War on Terror

CINCINNATI, Ohio, August 30, 2010 — The Enemy Within: Terror in America – 1776 to Today, the only museum exhibition to provide historical perspective on acts of terror that have taken place on American soil, opens Saturday, September 11, 2010 at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

The Enemy Within, an International Spy Museum exhibition, reveals nine major events and periods in U.S. History when Americans were threatened by enemies within its borders: depicting how the government and public responded, illustrating the corresponding evolution of the U.S. counterintelligence and homeland security efforts, and examining the challenge of securing the nation without compromising the civil liberties upon which it was founded.

“Most Americans remember exactly where they were when they learned about the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 – and regard this event as a turning point that forever changed their sense of security in the United States,” states International Spy Museum Chairman of the Board and Founder, Milton Maltz. “The fact is however, that Americans have endured thousands of incidents of terror, violence, or subversion right here at home by domestic terrorists and foreign agents, militant radicals and saboteurs, traitors and spies.”

The exhibition features dramatic moments in U.S. History – all frightening, and destabilizing events – that represent times when Americans have felt threatened within their own borders. Each event precipitated legislation and/or new counterintelligence measures and provoked debate about protecting both citizens and civil liberties.

“Terrorism in whatever form is an assault on freedom,” said Freedom Center President and CEO, Donald Murphy. “As this exhibition dramatically demonstrates, our freedoms have been challenged internally by terrorists since our founding, and it is a reflection of the strength of our democracy that we have not succumbed to the terrorist’s agenda.”

The Enemy Within will be open to the public until February 6, 2011.

About the Freedom Center

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center uses exhibits, programs and activities to educate and inspire contemporary audiences about the legacy of courage and multicultural cooperation as embodied in the story of the Underground Railroad, and to make that history relevant to issues confronting society today. Additional information is available at www.freedomcenter.org. 

About the International Spy Museum

The International Spy Museum, the only public institution in the world dedicated to presenting the world history of espionage, features the largest permanent collection of international spy-related artifacts on public display.  Through interactive exhibits with state-of-the-art audiovisual effects, film, and hands-on components, the Museum traces the evolution of espionage through the people who practiced the profession and it provides a context for guests to better interpret the role intelligence places in current events.  Additional information is available at www.spymuseum.org.

Do you love the history of the Underground Railroad? As an Exhibit Interpreter, you can be involved with the overall responsibility to help create an excellent visitor experience for Freedom Center guests by engaging in dialogue, participating in a collaborative learning and sharing the knowledge gained from a multi-week training program. This is a high-profile position, one that is educational, meaningful, uplifting and fun.

This is a great opportunity for individuals who are looking for a continually meaningful volunteer experience.

Classes will be held at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, beginning Saturday, September 11, 2010. These sessions run from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and will be held on Saturdays.

To sign up for the training sessions or for more information, please send e-mail to pjohnson@nurfc.org. In the subject line, please add “Sign Me Up For Training”.

Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition closes August 14th. You do not want to miss this beautiful exhibit!

Textural Rhythms unites the two most well known and popular artistic forms in African American culture-jazz and quilts. The exhibition of 64 quilts includes work from some of America’s best known African American quilters such as Michael Cummings, Ed Johnetta Miller, Tina Brewer, and Jim Smoote.

Just as the varied styles of jazz cause listeners to respond differently, the quilts of Textural Rhythms persuade us to salute the bonding of two worlds, jazz and quilts, in a distinguished combination of cultural tradition, sophistication, and panache. Irregardless of technique – unpretentious folk, intricate appliqué, conventional piecing, or complex montage, these quilt artists have harnessed in cloth, the spirit of jazz through meticulous reflections of the souls of jazz folk and the music that sways us.

Want to read a local review of the exhibit? Click here.

Join the Freedom Center for An Evening of Jazz & Art on Thursday, June 24 from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.  The event, presented by the Freedom Center and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., will highlight the Freedom Center’s new exhibit Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition.  The evening will feature live jazz performed by Premium Blend, beverages, hors d’oeuvres, and professional networking opportunities.  Jennifer Moore of WCPO is the emcee and the guest speaker is Dr. Tammy Kernodle, Miami University Associate Professor of Musicology.

Admission for the event is $20.00.  Tickets can be purchased at: http://nurfcjazz.eventbrite.com/

Parking is available at the Central Riverfront Parking Garage with a daily rate of $4.50 (cash only).  For directions click here.

Thank you to An Evening of Jazz & Art co-sponsors: Mayor Mallory’s Young Professional’s Kitchen Cabinet, the League of United Latin American Citizens-Cincinnati, 100 Black Men of Greater Cincinnati, and the National Black MBA Association, Cincinnati Chapter.

Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition opens Tuesday, June 15th at 11:00 a.m.  Installation of the exhibit is nearly complete.  Check out a few of our behind the scenes photos of the installation.

Last week our Without Sanctuary building banners came down (thank you to everyone who attended the exhibition!) and were replaced with our new exhibition building banners.  The new banners feature Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition and The Enemy Within: Terror In America, 1776 to Today. 

Textural Rhythms (opens Tuesday, June 15th) explores the weaving together of two unique and popular artistic forms of African American culture – jazz and quilt-making – which come together to capture masterpieces of imagination and creativity through the complex bonding of rhythms and moods.

The Enemy Within (opens Saturday, September 11th) will reveal nine major events and periods in U.S. History when Americans were threatened by enemies within its borders: depicting how the government and public responded, illustrating the corresponding evolution of U.S. counterintelligence and homeland security efforts, and examining the challenge of securing the nation without compromising the civil liberties upon which it was founded.

Check out the images of the banners below and let us know what you think!

Take a moment to read to the following journal reflection and see what people are saying about NURFC exhibition, “Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America.” If you haven’t yet viewed this unforgettable exhibit, now’s the time to see it. Exhibit closes TODAY.

I wasn’t sure that I would be able to “stomach” the exhibit.  I considered not going into the rooms, not wanting to subject myself to the horrors of the past, but the past is not gone.  These horrors are taking place in different forms all around the world, even in the U.S.  Let us never forget.  Let us never repeat these horrors of the past.  Let us teach our young the lessons of love and acceptance. 

I am glad I entered this exhibit to give honor to those who lost their lives.  Let us never forget.

Take a moment to read to the following journal reflection and see what people are saying about NURFC exhibition, “Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America.” If you haven’t yet viewed this unforgettable exhibit, now’s the time to see it. Exhibit closes May 31.

This exhibit is so important.  I wish I could have seen this years ago.  Lynching is a coward’s way to get revenge.  Unfortunately we can not undo the past.  All we can do is move forward and learn from it.  We MUST see these pictures and read these articles.  We MUST refuse to let history repeat itself.