Press Release
January 22, 2024

Northwestern’s Founders Hall Gallery Presents Women of the Antebellum

Winsted, CT – In celebration of both Black History Month and Women’s History Month, CT State Northwestern

is proud to present selected work from Women of the Antebellum by artist Kiayani Douglas Monday, January 29 through February 27, 2024 in the Gallery at Founders Hall. An artist reception and lecture are scheduled for

Wednesday, February 21, 3 to 5 p.m. Both the gallery and the reception are free and open to the public.

Women of the Antebellum  explores the concept of antebellum, referring to the time before the Civil War in the United States, and is an investigation into the stories of black women across the African diaspora.

“This evolving body of work has two origins, the first being a research project where I wanted to learn more about the contributions towards the African Diaspora by Women. The second being a personal investigation into motherhood,” said Douglas in her project statement. “My goal for this series is to challenge people’s perception of the Black Woman and the role they have served throughout history, but most importantly how their stories challenge people to continue their work. As a mother myself who curates conversations around race, history and privilege, it was important for me to work through the motions of the maternal role Black Women played in leading revolutions,” she said.

The portraits challenge conventional notions of civil unrest and war, highlighting how these women advocated for equal rights and liberation throughout the Diaspora. Kiayani aims to challenge perceptions of black women’s roles in history and inspire others to continue their work. As an interdisciplinary artist and educator, she empowers students to connect art with various disciplines. The portraits are created digitally with traditional drawing techniques, printed on metal to engage with industrialism’s impact, and will continue to evolve with more women’s stories added.

The Gallery at Founders Hall is located at 4 Park Place, Winsted. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information about the exhibit please contact Gallery Coordinator Deb Kline at dkline@nwcc.edu.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Susan Stiller
sstiller@nwcc.edu