Creating An Ancestors’ Collage

Recently during my visit to the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, I spent a good bit of time walking through an exhibition entitled, “How Black Men Changed the World,” a Smithsonian traveling exhibition that “powerfully dismantles corrosive myths with triumphant portraits and the stories of African American men.” At the entrance to the show hangs a mixed-media collage by the artist Stan Squirewell (pictured above) depicting an African American family. The piece inspired me.

 

Although most of us are not professional artists, we do not have to be to create our own ancestral portraits. Why not use photos, heirlooms and even news clippings to make an artistic legacy piece depicting the essence of your family?  Even discovering through your research, a family crest or maps of the cities your grandparents lived could add texture and interest. There are endless possibilities for your piece that could be abstract or portrait-like as you choose.

 

I love the idea of multi-faceted ways to tell our stories. Surely, such a piece would be of interest to visitors in your home or office, and perhaps even become a family treasure. Using your creative superpowers may produce a work of art uniquely yours to last for lifetimes.