Images (left to right): Faith Ringgold (American, b. 1930), "The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles," 1996, color lithograph, gift of Museum Associates (99.9); Romare Bearden (American, 1911-1988), "Carolina Blue," 1970, color screenprint with collage elements, Gilbreath-McLorn Museum Fund (2015.16)

Community-driven project explores forms of expression and shared experiences across African diaspora

The Missouri Humanities Council (MHC) has awarded a grant of $4,350 to the Museum of Art and Archaeology at the University of Missouri in support of the project titled Impressions: Black Spirit in America. The MHC is the only statewide agency in Missouri devoted exclusively to humanities education for citizens of all ages. It has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities since 1971. 

Opening in October 2025 and running through April 2026 at the museum’s galleries in Columbia, Impressions: Black Spirit in America is a community-driven project that will explore how works of art, poetry, writing, and other forms of expression embody the shared experiences of communities across the African diaspora as part of the collective story of Missourians and Americans. The exhibition draws from the museum's permanent collection with additional loans of art from the Art Bridges Foundation in Bentonville, Arkansas.

“With engagement from people of all backgrounds, we hope to encourage an understanding of how our communities are comprised of a wide range of artistic and cultural heritages,” said project guest curator and Mizzou assistant professor of creative writing Dr. Donald Quist. 

For more information about the project, follow the museum on Instagram (@mizzeum) or on Facebook, and visit https://maa.missouri.edu/ for updates and scheduling information. For more information about the grants program of the Missouri Humanities Council, call 314/781-9660 or 800/357-0909 or email clarice@mohumanities.org.