By Bonita Buford, Harvey B. Gantt Center

In 1974, on a sweltering day in late August, an outdoor festival heralded the launch of a concept to celebrate and recognize the historical, cultural and societal contributions of African Americans in Charlotte, North Carolina. This Afro-American Cultural and Service Center represented the unwavering determination of its founders, Dr. Mary Harper and Dr. Bertha Maxwell Roddey, who, along with others, by 1976 had established its first home in Spirit Square Center for the Arts, a former church on North College Street. As one of the building’s tenant organizations, the “Afro-Center” was recognized primarily for the educational opportunities it provided in art, culture and performance. With little more than a small office, most of the Center’s programming focused on outreach, with virtually no room for hanging exhibitions.

By 1986, another church – this time the former Little Rock AME Zion Church – became the expanded home for the renamed Afro-American Cultural Center and offered walls that could serve as gallery space. Two opening exhibitions, Retrospective 1976 – 1985 and To Vote and Speak Freely, marked the Center’s foray into providing beautiful, thought-provoking and – at times — provocative exhibitions that celebrated excellence in fine art while encouraging viewers to consider and remember the creative footprint of the African diaspora in American culture.  Since 2009, the institution, now known as the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, has mounted well over one hundred exhibitions showcasing the work of more than 300 local, national and internationally renowned artists.

On July 10, the Harvey B. Gantt Center launched a full-year salute to its founding 40 years ago with three remarkable exhibitions selected to celebrate the Center’s strong visual arts legacy. From Jim Alexander’s black & white photographs of musical legends in the 1980s to Fahamu Pecou’s allegorical paintings in the 2010s, the Gantt Center is poised on the leading edge of African American art and its creators.

Guest Curator Kim Curry-Evans talks with artist Tommie Robinson

Curated by Kim Curry-Evans, 40 and Counting features selections from shows mounted in its previous locations and from the Center’s present award-winning home in Uptown Charlotte. This exhibition shines a light on the organization’s extensive exhibition history and illuminates the Gantt Center’s rich focus on the visual arts and its influence on the arts, in general, in the Charlotte region.

The John & Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American Art – a generous gift in 1998 to the Center from Bank of America Corporation – is presented in its entirety and the legacy of painter J. Eugene Grigsby, Jr. is honored with a retrospective of his work. Grigsby’s roots run deep in the Charlotte community. Young Grigsby’s career as an artist was sparked while he biked through Queen City streets on his paper route. In addition, his father was Principal of Charlotte’s Second Ward High School for more than 30 years.

Gantt Center President & CEO speaks at July 10 opening for Gantt Center members.

This milestone moment also provides an extraordinary opportunity to reflect on the Gantt Center’s role in shaping people and ideas in the region over the last four decades. Public engagement, programming and performances are integral to the year’s offerings which aim to deepen the community’s knowledge of the Center’s heritage and history as a cultural institution.

Few cities have the privilege of prominent, public spaces that have existed for 40 years to celebrate the Black experience. The Gantt Center proudly holds that distinction for Charlotte. During this anniversary year, the Center will reflect on the present moment and the journey that brought them here, as they gain momentum for 40 years more.

40 and Counting Exhibition.