Exhibitions at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center link the past to the present. Our permanent exhibition Pride Overcomes Prejudice presents the history of the African American communities of Charlottesville/Albemarle VA, through the lives of those students and teachers who built and fostered the Jefferson School from the19^th through the 20^th century. Our contemporary gallery features mult-idisciplinary work by African American artists, or artist who represent African American culture.

Owing to limited space in exhibition galleries, visitors must now obtain a general admission ticket to visit. Groups are limited to no more than eight people. Groups must obtain a timed group ticket. For your safety, if galleries are full at the time that you arrive, you may be asked to wait. For guided tour information please contact us @education@jeffschoolheritagecenter.org.

In the Contemporary Gallery: Nic(o) Brierre Aziz: Haiti Across the Water

1, June – 31, August 2024

Haiti travels. It is a miracle that it does given all the attempts made to contain its people and its history. But Haiti journeys inexorably across the water, now as always, at home in Nic[o] Brierre Aziz’s home of New Orleans, and finding its voice through his artwork, where Haiti appears as symbol, as matrix, as inextinguishable echo, and as promise. Through his work we can see and sense its presence and the connections it weaves, and the possibilities burgeoning today from “New Wars. New Stories. New Heroes.”

Aziz is an interdisciplinary artist and curator whose practice engages themes of history, pop culture and satire while centering narratives of the Caribbean and Southern United States. Aziz has contributed to publications such as HuffPost and Hyperallergic and his work has been featured by The Oxford American, The Associated Press and others. He is also the recipient of several artist residencies and fellowships including a 2020 Andy Warhol Foundation Curatorial Fellow, a 2021 Joan Mitchell Center Artist-in-Residence and most recently a 2023 Art Matters Foundation Fellow. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College, a Master of Science degree from The University of Manchester (UK) and is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Sculpture from the Yale University School of Art.

Exhibition made possible through the generous support of a private collection and the JSAAHC Annual Fund.