Facing the Rising Sun

imported to the United States. Her work is a kind of altar, she says, to the indigo journey. “I have been in a pretty deep study about African American history, the South Carolina indigo plantations, the history of indigo in America, and enslaved Africans,” says Breeze. She notes that Ku Klux Klan members were wearing blue jeans made from cotton grown by slaves and dyed with indigo grown on plantations. The blue jeans were created for the enslaved by the enslaved but have been appropriated as a mainstream American icon. “I’m interested in untying that history and honoring those roots.”

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FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 2, 1-3:00 PM

Blue Alchemy: Stories of Indigo is a feature length documentary that explores the history and reveals the beauty and importance of indigo, weaving together stories about textiles and culture through interviews with artists, artisans, and historians. This film was produced and directed by Mary Lance, a filmmaker with over 40 years experience in documentary production. She has made documentaries about indigo, the blue dye; artists Agnes Martin and Diego Rivera; and the New Deal art projects of the 1930s, in addition to many documentaries for museums and arts organizations. Lance will introduce the film and will be available to answer questions following the screening.

FACING THE RISING SUN: HOMESTEADING FROM A BLACK

PERSPECTIVE is a high-tech traveling exhibition telling the story of the first African American families to homestead New Mexico. Facing the Rising Sun is a partnership between the African American Museum and Cultural Center of New Mexico (AAMCCNM), Electric Playhouse, and the City of Albuquerque Department of Arts and Culture.

The exhibition highlights the history of several families homesteading in three significant areas in New Mexico —Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Vado. Family histories included in the exhibit are those of Boyer and Fuller; Collins; Holsome; Lewis-Outley-Ballou; Pettes; and Williams.

The story of African American settlement in the New Mexico revolves around federal legislation that helped families through various homesteading acts beginning in 1862. Following six family histories, interactive structures allow the visitor to physically step into the world of homesteading in New Mexico.

“It was a fairly significant migration, that brought with it hope of ownership, of being in charge, of self-determination, rooted in the story of owning your land,”says Rita Powdrell, executive director of AAMCCNM.

Unknown photographer, R.A. Pettes with Children and Grandchildren, ca. 1952

Facing the Rising Sun

Thomas Williams, Holsome Homestead, 2021

ON VIEW

FACING THE RISING SUN: HOMESTEADING FROM A BLACK PERSPECTIVE

January 22 – July 10, 2022