Head to the Sky

Traversing major political movements and interpersonal relationships, Head to the Sky brings together works that show the fullness of Black life: joy and struggle, leisure and labor, and everything in between. Among this selection are snapshots of history that picture the struggles of the twentieth century, as in Ernest C. Withers’s careful documentation of the Civil Rights Movement. In the center of the gallery is a display of vernacular photos, reminiscent of a family album showing Black people vacationing, celebrating birthdays, and falling in love against the backdrop of the Jim Crow era. Their act of choosing to live fully and well provides a model for what to do in times of social and political turmoil.

At the same time, the exhibition explores how Black communities have continued to reimagine what the future holds. Throughout the show works include a range of time periods and visual expressions, figures at rest, enjoying a night out, or lining up to protest. Altogether, the exhibition highlights the many facets of Black American experience. Taking its title from the 1991 song “Optimistic,” by Sounds of Blackness, Head to the Sky is an invitation for optimism despite the heaviness of the world and for the preservation of the fullness and complexity of humanity above all.

Head to the Sky is curated by Adeze Wilford, Blackmon Perry Curator of African American Art and Art of the African Diaspora. It is supported by the Henry Luce Foundation.

All exhibitions at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art are underwritten by the MBMA Exhibition Fund: Lead support provided by Kay Clark, and Maggie and Milton Lovell, with additional funding from Anonymous, Irene and Ron Ayotte, Gloria and Kenneth Boyland, Deborah and Bob Craddock, Susan and James Edelman, Debi and Galen Havner, Sally Hergenrader, James R. Humphreys, Betty and George Johnson, Kristen and Jay Keegan, Valerie and Carl Person, Deborah D. Tipton, Bill Townsend, and the Doris S. and Hubert Kiersky Charitable Remainder Trust.