This exhibition at The High Museum in Atlanta tells the story of the enslaved potters of Old Edgefield District, a rural area on the western edge of South Carolina renowned for its natural clays. While many people associate enslaved labor with staple crops like cotton and tobacco, historians refer to Old Edgefield as a site of "industrial slavery." For approximately fifty years before emancipation and the conclusion of the Civil War, Black potters in Old Edgefield crafted stoneware storage vessels that were later sold to nearby plantations. Despite their exquisite beauty and expert craftsmanship, these vessels were produced under severe duress.
Edgefield stoneware became a fundamental part of life in South Carolina and parts of Georgia, celebrated for its affordability, durability, and glassy, impervious glaze. By the 1840s, numerous potteries were catering to the growing population, producing tens of thousands of vessels each year. Enslaved African Americans played crucial roles in all facets of this labor-intensive industry, with their knowledge, creativity, and skill forming the core of this exhibition, which aims to honor their work and legacy.
Additionally, Hear Me Now connects the past to the present by featuring works by prominent contemporary Black artists who have engaged with the Edgefield narrative, including Theaster Gates, Adebunmi Gbadebo, Simone Leigh, and Woody De Othello. This exhibition is organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, with support from the Terra Foundation for American Art and the Henry Luce Foundation.
