Alexandria’s Riveting New Photo Exhibit Draws Visitors; Public Invited to Meet Artist March 3
Through Darkness to Light: Photographs along the Underground Railroad Exhibition
By Shenise Foster
Transport yourself to a time were directions could not be easily Googled or pulled up by Siri and all you had was the light of the moon to guide you to a place of safety and solace.
Imagining those dark days throws admiring light on the Alexandria Black History museum’s current exhibit, Through Darkness to Light: Photographs along the Underground Railroad by Jeanine Michna-Bales which explores the perspective of “fugitive” slaves running toward freedom.
Photographer Michna-Bales did extensive research of the Underground Railroad and used actual sites in her body of work to bring a visual component to a piece of American History that has this far only been documented orally.
During Black History Month, the Alexandria Black History museum unveiled the show and has experienced a steady flow of visitors admiring and reflecting on the people who would risk anything to achieve a better way of life for themselves and their family.
As the title of the exhibit indicates, though it starts off in darkness, the light of the photos leaves the viewer with a sense of peace, implying that the journey ends with the achievement of the ultimate dream: FREEDOM
SPECIAL EVENT: On Sunday, March 3rd at 2 PM the public is invited to attend a lecture event with the photographer to dive deeper into technical prowess of the photographs. Reservations can be made by calling the museum at 703-746-4356.
