Yager Museum to Host Black History Month Events
The Yager Museum of Art & Culture, in partnership with Hartwick’s Belonging Center, is pleased to offer two Black History Month programs.
On Thursday, Feb. 20, from 5 to 7 p.m., the museum will screen the award-winning documentary I Am Not Your Negro, celebrating the life and work of author and activist James Baldwin.
On Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 5 to 7 p.m., the museum will host a talk by historian Harry Bradshaw Matthews titled “Why Frederick Douglass Visited Oneonta,” exploring his research into Douglass’ connections to Oneonta and the anti-slavery movement.
“The Yager Museum has always been a place that has foregrounded the connections between history, culture and difference,” said Museum Curator Quentin Lewis. “Both of these programs explore the complicated story of race in America, celebrate Black life and excellence, and offer an opportunity to ponder what our shared, multi-racial future may look like. We’re proud to partner with Hartwick’s Belonging Center to bring these programs to Hartwick and Oneonta community members.”
I Am Not Your Negro is a 2016 documentary by Raoul Peck that combines Baldwin’s words with archival footage to examine racism in America and Baldwin’s relationships with Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, the film was nominated for an Academy Award and won multiple documentary awards, including the BAFTA for best documentary.
In “Why Frederick Douglass Visited Oneonta,” historian Harry Bradshaw Matthews will discuss new research on Douglass’ visit to Oneonta and the role of Oneontans in the anti-slavery struggle. He will also examine connections between anti-slavery and civil rights activism and Hartwick College in the 19th and 20th centuries. A distinguished historian of African American life, Matthews’ 40-year career includes significant works on African American and genealogical history. His research and work with the United States Colored Troops Institute have been recognized by organizations, including the Library of Congress. Matthews retired from Hartwick in 2020 as associate dean and director of the Office of Intercultural Affairs.
The Yager Museum’s galleries will be open during both events. Visitors can explore current exhibits, including No Child’s Play: Impressionist Paintings by Anna Richards Brewster; With That Shadow Over Them: Constructing Catskill Reservoirs, Remembering Home; Sculptures in Silver: America’s Standing Liberty Quarters, 1916-1931; and Masterpieces of European and American Art: The Hartwick College Art Treasure Room. The museum’s traveling exhibit, Black Lives at Hartwick, Then and Now, will also be on display.
The museum’s regular hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. when the College is in session. The museum is closed on Sundays, Mondays, Hartwick College holidays and when the College is not in session. Admission is free. More information is available on this and additional events through the Yager Museum of Art & Culture’s Facebook page and webpage, by calling 607-431-4480 or emailing Lewis at [email protected].
