Art has a unique way of speaking to history. It doesn’t only describe what happened — it captures feeling, movement, identity, and memory. In the Spring 2019 issue of Voices Magazine, the Minnesota Black Fine Arts Show is highlighted as an event that uses art to celebrate Black History Month and to reflect on a major historical and cultural theme: migration. The feature is centered on how the show creates a space for both celebration and reflection, using visual work to bring the theme to life.
The magazine notes that the Minnesota Black Fine Arts Show took place at the Hormel Historic Home in Austin, Minnesota, and was held on February 15–16 in honor of Black History Month. This detail is significant because it establishes the event as part of a national tradition of honoring Black history, while also grounding it in a specific local setting. It shows that Black history is not only commemorated in large cities or major institutions — it is also celebrated through community and regional events, where audiences can experience history through art.
Voices Magazine describes the show as a Black History celebration featuring a theme: “Black Migration: Movement North, South, East, and West.” This theme is powerful because migration has shaped the lives and stories of Black communities across the United States. The theme recognizes movement — not just physical movement across geography, but movement tied to opportunity, survival, family, and identity. By centering migration, the show invites participants and viewers to think about how communities change when people relocate, and how history travels with them.
The theme itself also emphasizes breadth: “North, South, East, and West.” It suggests the show is not focused on a single migration pattern, but on the larger idea of Black migration across the country. This framing allows artists to interpret the theme in diverse ways — through personal stories, historical reflection, symbolic imagery, or abstract expression — while still staying connected to the central idea of movement.
The magazine also highlights scale and quality. It notes that the show had over 100 art pieces that were selected by a jury of three individuals: Tom Pimentel, Sophia Harris, and Dee Wilson. This detail matters because it tells us the event was curated — not random. Jury selection suggests the show aims to maintain artistic quality and theme connection. When a show involves jurors, it often means artists submit their work for review, and the final pieces are chosen based on criteria — such as relevance, artistic strength, and contribution to the theme.
The fact that there were over 100 pieces indicates a significant level of participation and variety. A show of that size suggests viewers could experience many perspectives on the theme. It also suggests the event serves as a meaningful platform for artists — a place where their work is not only displayed, but positioned as part of a larger cultural conversation.
One of the most important aspects of this feature is how it frames art as an educational and cultural tool. When Black History Month events focus only on speeches or written history, some audiences may feel disconnected. But art invites people in differently. It allows history to be seen and felt. It can capture migration as motion, as emotion, as memory. It can show the tension between leaving and arriving. It can reflect hope, struggle, pride, loss, and resilience — often without needing a single paragraph of explanation.
A theme like Black Migration also invites deeper reflection because migration often represents both challenge and possibility. People move for different reasons — sometimes by force, sometimes by choice, sometimes out of necessity. The theme allows artists to engage with those layers. And when the show is held during Black History Month, it reinforces the idea that Black history includes not only events and timelines, but lived experiences passed through generations.
The location — a historic home — also adds symbolic weight. Hosting a Black Fine Arts Show in a space associated with history can create a powerful contrast and connection: it places Black artistic expression and Black historical reflection in a setting that already suggests heritage and memory. It becomes a kind of dialogue between place and art.
Voices Magazine’s spotlight on this show suggests that it views such events as important to community cultural life. The magazine’s role in sharing this event is part of its larger pattern: amplifying community achievements, cultural gatherings, and stories that strengthen identity and connection. By featuring the Minnesota Black Fine Arts Show, Voices Magazine is not only informing readers — it is also validating the importance of Black artistic spaces and Black history reflection in Minnesota.
In essence, this show is presented as more than an exhibition. It is a cultural gathering that honors Black History Month through creative work, using the theme of migration to connect art to history. With a curated selection of over 100 pieces and a jury process led by Tom Pimentel, Sophia Harris, and Dee Wilson, the show becomes a strong example of how community events can elevate history through creativity.
And that is what makes the Minnesota Black Fine Arts Show meaningful: it celebrates Black history not only by telling it, but by showing it — through art that represents movement, memory, and the many directions history travels.
