The back-to-school chaos is starting to die down as September slowly transitions to autumn. As we fall back into our new routines, we’d like to add a few Jubilee events to our September schedules.

On September 20th at 8:30 a.m, the University of South Carolina will open the 2013 GALA exhibit, “If You Miss Me at the Back of the Bus.” Taking its name from the Pete Seeger 1963 protest song, the exhibit  pieces represent, illustrate, and symbolize the changes brought to South Carolina and the South by the Civil Rights movement. The invitational juried art exhibition features South Carolina artists including Susan Lenz (known for her quilt series and stained glass projects), Laura Spong (a “non-objective expressionist” painter), and Jean Grosser (a mixed media artist). The McKissick Museum states, “We expect the show will suggest how the African American struggle for civil rights evolved and later paved the way for other historically disenfranchised groups of people to work toward social change. We anticipate artworks that reflect new ‘ways of seeing’ the movement within the art world and beyond.” Later that day, the McKissick will host its annual fundraiser gala from 7 to 10 p.m. All of the artwork will be available for purchase at that time.

Previous works by the featured artists (clockwise from left: Jean Grosser, Laura Spong, and Susan Lenz)

On September 26th at 7:00 p.m, award-winning South Carolinian poet, Nikky Finney will speak in the University of South Carolina Law Auditorium. Nikky Finney grew up in South Carolina in a household committed to social justice and civil rights during the period of integration. Nikky Finney’s poems explore race, family traditions, politics, and much more.

Filed under: Jubilee Project