The African American Culture Exhibit will be on display from 10am-4pm on Saturday, February 24th. Lakeshore Mall in Sebring will host the colorful and educational exhibit celebrating “visual reflections of Africa” in the old Hibbett Sports store.
Selvin Walker of Junctions Multimedia Services organized and put together this inaugural presentation. He will be giving sneak peeks to guests from noon to 2pm on Friday as well as Tuesday at the same times.
The theme for Black History Month for 2024 is “African Americans and the Arts,” however, Walker added the subtheme of “Visual Reflections – Preserving History and Community.”
The exhibition will feature numerous African American artifacts, artwork, displays of clothing and literature, including many works that are no longer in print.
Colorful quilts are hung on the walls and tell stories through their images. Quilts include “Underground Railroad,” “Through the Eyes of a Brown Soul,” “African Queens,” and “Pinecone” quilts to name a few.
African clothing will also be on display. All quilts and clothing are made by local artists Loretta B. Stevens, Nancy McKinney Kearney, and Joyce Jones. Stephens, a quilter, will give an oral presentation about the “Underground Railroad” quilt and the meaning behind its symbols.
Walker has extensive knowledge of Sebring and the Washington Heights neighborhood. A display of the neighborhood and the EO Douglas School can be viewed with rare photographs.
At Walker Library, guests can take videos from longtime residents who share their memories of the area. Chairs are set up so that visitors can watch and listen comfortably.
You can watch and hear musical instruments from Africa and a video explaining how to play them. Walker said mall manager Jenny Cheek approached Walker about putting together a display, saying Cheek wanted to put on a display of all the different cultures that make up Highlands County.
For more information, call Walker at 863-471-7184.
