In Living Memory: A conversation on African American Archives

Join us for an intimate conversation with Lindsay Adams, Jason Reynolds, and Savannah Wood, to coincide with the current Irene and Richard Frary Gallery exhibition, Ceremony: New Works by Lindsay Adams in Conversation with Objects from Johns Hopkins University Sheridan Libraries. Moderated by Ceremony’s guest curator, Claudia M. Watts, the discussion will address each panelist’s relationship with archival materials, exploring the similarities and differences while underscoring the importance of archives and their afterlives.

For Adams, archives are sites of collective memory that inform her compositions and mark-making. To Reynolds, they are tangible moments from which he draws inspiration and feels called to preserve. Wood is also a steward, managing over 130 years of the AFRO American Newspapers publications as she creates meaningful opportunities for community engagement.

Together, artist, collector, and steward will illuminate their spiritual connections to ephemera, the ways in which they navigate archival inconsistencies and biases, and the long-term impact they hope to create.

A reception with light fare will directly follow.

Lindsay Adams (b. 1990, Washington, D.C.) is a writer and painter working across traditional mediums. Employing her educational foundation as a social scientist, with a background in foreign relations, sociology, and cultural anthropology, she systematically engages in her work with precise critical analysis and a perceptive understanding of the complex fabric of social dynamics. Lindsay received her B.A. degrees in both International Studies: World Politics and Diplomacy and Spanish from the University of Richmond and an MFA in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Jason Reynolds is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books for children and young adults. A 2024 MacArthur Fellow, Jason is best known for his novels All American Boys (co-written with Brendan Kiely), the Track series, and Long Way Down, which received Newbery, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Honors. Among his many accolades, Jason was named the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress for 2020-2022. Jason lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com.

Savannah Wood is an artist and the Executive Director of Afro Charities, Inc. Afro Charities stewards the archives of the 133-year-old AFRO American Newspapers — a business Savannah's great-great-grandparents founded in 1892. Since 2019, Wood has shepherded Afro Charities through a period of historic growth, and in early 2027, the organization will open the Martha E. Murphy Research Institute in Baltimore — a public research center dedicated to the AFRO's extensive archives. Like four generations before her, Wood lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland, sharing and preserving Black histories.

Claudia M. Watts is a multidisciplinary writer, curator, and scholar from Baltimore County, Maryland, currently working in the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Previously, she served as Director of Culture at Eaton Hotel, where she managed the permanent collection, and developed arts-centered programming and earlier worked at the Smithsonian Institution. Claudia has contributed exhibition reviews and essays to publications including BmoreArt Magazine, Hyperallergic, Millennium Film Journal, and The Washington Informer, and holds an M.A. in art history from American University, a B.A. from Howard University, and an M.S. in management from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m.

WHERE: Hopkins Bloomberg Center

SCHEDULE:

5:00 p.m. — Check in
6:00 p.m. — Program
7:00 p.m. — Reception

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CHECK IN:

• A photo ID is required for entry.

• Each attendee must have a ticket registered in their own name. If you reserved a ticket for someone else, please ensure their name and information are correctly entered.

• A printed ticket is not needed.

• Theater seating is first-come, first-served. Guests are encouraged to arrive early; overflow seating may be available.

About the Exhibition:

Drawing on artist Lindsay Adams’ background in international studies and cultural anthropology, Ceremony explores the histories of Black movement, migration, and world-building. Guest curated by Claudia M. Watts, the exhibition places Adams’ new works in conversation with never-before-seen archival objects from the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries’ collection, including rare books and personal correspondence from Billie Holiday, Josephine Baker, and more.

About the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery:

The is the Hopkins Bloomberg Center’s free, public art gallery presenting rotating exhibitions drawn from the university’s collections and special exhibitions born out of partnerships with leading museums and collections.

The 1,000-square-foot gallery designed by Rockwell Group brings new ideas and energy to Washington, D.C., enriching the cultural and intellectual offerings of the center and dynamically reinforcing its mission as a place that convenes different artistic and ideological perspectives to support discovery, democracy, and global dialogue.

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