Roswell CVB | Juneteenth: Our Freedom Exhibit
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June 03 - July 31

Juneteenth: Our Freedom Exhibit

In celebration of Juneteenth, we have assembled the Juneteenth: Our Freedom Exhibit - our artistic reflection of the liberation Juneteenth has afforded us to be artists.

Freely creating in our own voices, viewing, reading, exploring, analyzing, and interpreting the world around us and translating our visions artistically in paintings, sculptures, textiles and adornments.

Juneteenth: Our Freedom Exhibit Gallery
Juneteenth: Our Freedom Exhibit
  • Admission: Free and open to the public. Participating Artists Jeannette Barnett Eloise Bradley Sylvia Breland Daniel Hodges Deneen Hodges Debra Renee Jeter Lauren Lane Bonita Martin Herman McClenton Alva McNeal Michael Morgan Pame' Sawyer-Smith Marietta Solomon Margaret Warfield Artis Hill Williamson About Juneteenth On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves'' within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." Because the Southern Confederacy viewed themselves as an independent nation, the Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately free all of the enslaved population because the Rebel governments would not enforce Lincoln’s proclamation. Texas became a stronghold of Confederate influence in the latter years of the Civil War as the slaveholding population 'refugeed' their slave property by migrating to Texas. Consequently, enslaved individuals were relocated to Texas, effectively prolonging slavery in a region far from the Civil War's bloodshed, and out of the reach of freedom, the United States Army. Only after the Union army forced the surrender of Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith at Galveston on June 2, 1865, would the emancipation of slaves in Texas be addressed and freedom granted. On June 19, 1865, 250,000 enslaved people were freed. Juneteenth commemorates General Order No. 3 which was issued by Major General Gordon Granger, who arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. The issuing of this order and the arrival of Federal troops in Galveston effectively ended the Civil War and emancipated those confined to a life of slavery. After becoming emancipated, many former slaves left Texas in great numbers. Most members of this exodus had the goal of reuniting with lost family members and paving a path to success in postbellum America. This widespread migration of former slaves after June 19 became known as 'the Scatter.' On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which officially made Juneteenth a federal holiday. This holiday is the first holiday to be approved since President Ronald Reagan signed a 1983 bill that approved Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday. African Americans for the Arts (AAFTA) African Americans For The Arts (AAFTA) was founded in Atlanta in 1998. The mission of AAFTA is to be a united proactive voice for cultural matters affecting the African American and Diasporic African Community. AAFTA is a membership based nonprofit Georgia Corporation which encourages collaboration between individual artists, groups and communities. Members of AAFTA create artwork which demonstrates that we are impacted by more than the history we have endured because of the color of our skin. We have opinions about current events and sometimes express them in our work. Artists are traditionally a source of comment for social injustice and we present some of our beliefs through our work. While we are currently comprised currently of visual artists we embrace members from other arenas of the arts such as music, dance, spoken words, filmmakers, poets, and writers. AAFTA is unique in that offers positive fellowship and support to its members for their creative expression. Our membership consists of thirty (30) local artist who meet monthly at Hammonds House in Atlanta, Georgia on the first Tuesday of each month. Contact Information Jeannette Barnett, President Instagram: @AAFTAgroup African American for the Arts (AAFTA) is an organization of artists from all disciplines such as visual artists, textile artists, photographers, sculptors, jewelry artists, and doll makers. We strive to be inclusive and expansive in our vision of the influence our art will have on our overall community.
  • Location: Roswell Cultural Arts Center
  • Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
  • 950 Forrest Street
  • Roswell, GA, 30075
(770) 594-6119 visit website
Upcoming Dates
  • Tuesday, June 4
  • Wednesday, June 5
  • Thursday, June 6
  • Friday, June 7
  • Monday, June 10
  • Tuesday, June 11
  • Wednesday, June 12
  • Thursday, June 13
  • Friday, June 14
  • Monday, June 17