Port Huron Museums, NAACP Youth Council celebrate Black History Month with new exhibit

McKenna Golat, Port Huron Times Herald
·2 min read
One of the chairs that is a part of the new exhibit "A Seat at the Table" on Feb. 2, 2024. The exhibit will be open to the public from Feb. 10 to March 10.
One of the chairs that is a part of the new exhibit "A Seat at the Table" on Feb. 2, 2024. The exhibit will be open to the public from Feb. 10 to March 10.

PORT HURON - Port Huron Museums new exhibit will showcase multiple local stories for Black History Month.

The new exhibit is called "A Seat at the Table" and will be at the museum from Feb. 10 to March 10. The exhibit was created through a collaboration with Port Huron Museums and the Port Huron NAACP Youth Council and will showcase submitted pieces by local Black community members.

NAACP Youth Council Advisor Mary Williams said the exhibit will show people's stories from their own point of view, and will help people understand others and meet people where they are currently.

"It will open up an understanding that there are seats at the table that have not yet been filled," she said. "It gives a good dialogue to the community."

The exhibit will feature submissions from 30 people and convey a part of their stories using artwork integrated with chairs and tables. Around five of the submissions are from members of the NAACP Youth Council.

Port Huron Museum Curator of Collections and Exhibits Kayla Wendt describing one of the chairs at the new exhibit "Seat at the Table" on Feb. 2, 2024.
Port Huron Museum Curator of Collections and Exhibits Kayla Wendt describing one of the chairs at the new exhibit "Seat at the Table" on Feb. 2, 2024.

A Seat at the Table will be showcased in the main gallery at the Port Huron Museum's Carnegie Center, located at 1115 Sixth St.

Museum Community Engagement Manager Andrew Kercher said Port Huron Museums has partnered with the NAACP Youth Council a number of times in the past. He said the museum let the youth council take the lead on cultivating the exhibit.

Kercher said the museum makes it a priority to platform the voices of minority groups in the area.

"Our mission at the museum is to preserve and illuminate history and culture for the benefit of the community, and that means everybody's history and culture," he said. "If you're missing those voices, you're not telling the whole story."

Valerie Scott-Price next to the piece she created for the exhibit that inspired "A Seat at the Table." Her piece will act as the focal point for the exhibit at Port Huron Museums.
Valerie Scott-Price next to the piece she created for the exhibit that inspired "A Seat at the Table." Her piece will act as the focal point for the exhibit at Port Huron Museums.

The exhibit was inspired by one from the Anton Art Center in Mount Clemens called "From Where I Sit," which was created by the Interfaith Center for Racial Justice. Director Carol Sullivan said the original exhibit was a big sense of pride for the organization's members, so to see that it inspired another exhibit is very affirming.

The focal point of "A Seat at the Table" will actually be a piece that was originally showcased at the Anton Art Center. The piece, titled "Queens," was created by Valerie Scott-Price, who is originally from the Port Huron Area.

"I made my chair for all the women who have impacted my life," she said. "I'm truly excited to see the other people's visions and what they bring to the table."

At least six other pieces from the Anton Art Center exhibit will be displayed in "A Seat at the Table."

Admission is still free at all Port Huron Museums sites. The Carnegie Center's winter hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Port Huron Museum A Seat at the Table exhibit