"Return to the Source: Charleston A Cradle of Jazz"

Charleston Jazz
InitiativeProceedings June 2-4, 2005
College of Charleston, SC

The AVERY RESEARCH CENTER, a division of the College of Charleston was established to collect, preserve, and make public the unique historical and cultural heritage of African Americans in Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry.

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COLLECTIONS, Research Room
The Avery Research Center provides access to and professional reference assistance in the use of its collections to the College of Charleston community, scholars and the general public. Avery facilitates access to these holdings in person, by mail, e-mail or telephone reference services. More information...

Avery was recently awarded a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) to catalogue its "Hidden Collections." One of 18 institutions nation-wide selected for this prestigious award, Avery is using the $236,920 to better process its manuscript and museum materials to increase their accessibility to the public. A full time archivist, a part time museum registrar and three part time assistants have been hired to make this two-year program a reality. It is a testimonial to the national and even international importance of Avery's archives and artifacts that it was chosen. In charge of the program is Harlan Greene, Director of Archival and Reference Services. Avery gratefully acknowledges the contributions of CLIR and the Mellon Foundation for making this work possible.

PROGRAMS
The Center's galleries and other public spaces house permanent displays and installations and are sites for workshops, lectures, poetry readings, book signings, receptions, jazz performances and art exhibitions throughout the year.
Visit our EVENTS page for a full listing of upcoming programs.

PHOTO GALLERY

"The Palmetto State:
The Making of Modern South Carolina"
by Jack Bass and W. Scott Poole

Lecture and Book Signing

Jack Bass and W. Scott Poole are professors of Southern History at the College of Charleston.

June 27, 2009
5:00 pm
McKinley Washington Auditorium

Visit our Events Page for a full listing of Avery's upcoming programs and events.

"Advocacy and Activism"

An Exhibition in Observance of the Centennial of the NAACP
Curated by: Curtis J. Franks

Early in the 20th century, African Americans were subjected to numerous injustices, including lynching and other acts of terrorism. To counter these blatant attacks and to secure basic citizenship, the NAACP began a strategic plan of "Advocacy and Activism." Titled after this strategy, this exhibition places special emphasis on the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) activities in the state of South Carolina. The exhibition includes photographs, documents, membership cards, buttons, post cards from the Center's collections and loans from private donors. Interwoven in this exhibition, is the creative art work of
fiber artist Zelda Grant.

Photo above shows Charleston branch NAACP activists. From left to right: Charles Mason, treasurer of local NAACP branch; John Chisolm, business partner of J. Arthur Brown; Etta Clark, local businesswoman and NAACP activist; and NAACP President, J. Arthur Brown.

Materials from Avery Research Center collections featured in this exhibition include those from the James E. Campbell Collection; J. Michael Graves Collection; Ethelyn Murray Parker Collection; William Saxton (Pope) Wilson Collection; Charleston NAACP Collection; Pantovic Collection; J. Arthur Brown Collection; Avery Research Center Photographic Collection; Dr. Benjamin Whipper Collection; Lucille Whipper Collection and materials from Mrs. Hermine Stanyard.

Exhibition through December 18, 2009
Changing Gallery - 2nd Floor

"JAZZ! Art Quilts in Performance"
by Dr. Marlene O'Bryant Seabrook

Juke boxes, disc jockies and live artists were woven like threads in Harlem and Charleston nightclubs.

Renowned quilter, educator and jazz advocate, Dr. Marlene O'Bryant Seabrook, presents her quilts to celebrate this cultural heyday of art, music and craft.


Quilt: "Gone Clubbing: Crazy About Jazz 2008"

McKinley Washington Auditorium.
Through July 31, 2009

This exhibition is presented in conjunction with the Charleston Jazz Initiative (CJI).
CJI is a project of the College of Charleston's Arts Management Program, School of the Arts in partnership with the Avery Research Center.
For more information on CJI, contact: Dr. Karen Chandler, CJI Co-Principal
email: info@charlestonjazznet or chandlerk@cofc.edu
Phone: 843.953.5474 or visit: www.charlestonjazz.net

Tasting Cultures:
The Art of African/Diaspora Foodways"
Art Exhibition


Co-Curated by:
Sarah Khan and Henry John Drewal

This exhibit features engaging multimedia works that represent the numerous contributions African culture has made to the African Atlantic world as it relates to ethnobotany, food, and culture.

Image shown: "Young Herbalist"
by David C. Driskell

Featured artists:
Sonya Y. Clark; David C. Driskell; Amos P. Kennedy, Jr., Kaylynn Sullivan Twotrees; Michele Tejuola Turner; and former Avery Research Center fellow Bolaji Campbell.

Through September 7, 2009
Cox Gallery - Third Floor

The exhibition was part of a major conference which focused on the numerous contributions Africa has made to the African Atlantic in the form of ethnobotany, food and culture.

"Esau Jenkins: A Retrospective View of the Man and His Times"

This exhibition developed in 1991 by the Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture, chronicles the myriad of activities Mr. Jenkins was intimately involved in. It highlights his leadership skills as a conscious and compassionate community activist, organizer, entrepreneur and Civil Rights leader. The exhibit will be on view through June 2009. More...