Image Courtesy of the Fergus Falls Public Library
Press Release Courtesy of the Fergus Falls Public Library
Fergus Falls, MN – Fergus Falls Public Library, in partnership with Viking Library System, presents the photo gallery exhibit “TESTIFY: Americana, Slavery to Today” from April 26 – May 9, 2024.
The exhibit is on display in the Fergus Falls Public Library’s Jean Dahling Community Room during library hours and is free and open to the public, funded in part with monies from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.
This powerful display of pieces from the Diane and Alan Page Collection of African American art and artifacts paints a portrait of race relations and representation in the 19th through 21st centuries.
Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and NFL Hall of Famer Alan Page and his family have reintroduced the TESTIFY Exhibit, extending its reach to communities throughout the state.
It was originally presented at the Hennepin County Library in 2018 and, following the overwhelmingly positive response from the public, returned to Hennepin County in early 2023 with a renewed call to action.
It is now available to the public in West Central Minnesota as a large-format, high resolution photo display of selections from the original exhibits, with audio narration by Justice Page and collection director Georgi Page-Smith.
The family hopes the exhibit will help bridge divides, deepen dialogue, and encourage action on justice.
“The objects in the exhibit…juxtapose artifacts from our often-painful shared history with inspiring imagery and works of art that help us rise above it,” the late Diane Sims Page said of the collection she started. She hoped that “by coming to grips with our past, we can come together in the future.”
Please join others to delve into history and reflect on the power we each have to act for causes of justice.
The Pages produced the traveling exhibit in collaboration with photographer Josh Grubbs and artist and designer Kurt Mueller, with the support of Viking Library System, Great River Regional Library, the Friends of the Hennepin County Library, The McKnight Foundation, and Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.