The LineUp | Spelman College Museum: 'Repossessions' exhibition

The Lineup

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Spelman College Museum: 'Repossessions' exhibition

January 7 – May 1, 2026

12:00 AM - 12:00 AM

440 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA

Description

“Repossessions” presents works by artist Chelle Barbour, Marcus Brown, Rodney Ewing, Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle (Olomidara Yaya), Curtis Patterson and to be unveiled in the Spring of 2026, a new artwork from Shanequa Gay.

Using a variety of visual strategies, the artworks commissioned for “Repossessions” contribute to viewers’ understanding of the long aftermath of enslavement and the need for envisioning reparation. The title of the exhibition names the process of giving Black artists possession of historical objects and their facsimiles, allowing them to “repossess” them from white family archives of enslavement, and alter their existence.

“Repossessions” is an indictment of the history of human ownership and its violent, multigenerational, and international legacy that demands to be confronted and reckoned with to this day.

“Repossessions” was commissioned by The Reparations Project and is curated by Bridget R. Cooks, Ph.D., independent curator, scholar, and professor of African American studies and art history at the University of California, Irvine. The exhibition is an initiative of The Reparations Project in collaboration with Reparations4Slavery and originated at the California African American Museum (CAAM). The presentation at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art is curated by Brandy Pettijohn, Ph.D. and made possible by the generous support of Sarah Eisner and the Friends of the Museum.

Description

“Repossessions” presents works by artist Chelle Barbour, Marcus Brown, Rodney Ewing, Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle (Olomidara Yaya), Curtis Patterson and to be unveiled in the Spring of 2026, a new artwork from Shanequa Gay.

Using a variety of visual strategies, the artworks commissioned for “Repossessions” contribute to viewers’ understanding of the long aftermath of enslavement and the need for envisioning reparation. The title of the exhibition names the process of giving Black artists possession of historical objects and their facsimiles, allowing them to “repossess” them from white family archives of enslavement, and alter their existence.

“Repossessions” is an indictment of the history of human ownership and its violent, multigenerational, and international legacy that demands to be confronted and reckoned with to this day.

“Repossessions” was commissioned by The Reparations Project and is curated by Bridget R. Cooks, Ph.D., independent curator, scholar, and professor of African American studies and art history at the University of California, Irvine. The exhibition is an initiative of The Reparations Project in collaboration with Reparations4Slavery and originated at the California African American Museum (CAAM). The presentation at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art is curated by Brandy Pettijohn, Ph.D. and made possible by the generous support of Sarah Eisner and the Friends of the Museum.

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