Rod McGaha’s “Regeneration”

Within all communities you will find a fabric of multiple sections that tell their story. This fabric represents the people, places, and belongings, while embracing the spirit and thought process within. During the past few years this cloth has been tested for its strength and durability. Although the pandemic as well as other societal ills have stained and torn apart certain sections, we are now beginning to see a mending alongside a regeneration that is taking place. The cloth is changing to accommodate the new experiences, patch by patch. A new quilt is being created to tell the story of a people who have loved, laughed, cried, and most of all endured. 

McGaha's series Regeneration explores the power of art to heal and transform. The series is a visual and auditory journey that tells the story of black resilience and strength. McGaha's work is a must-see for anyone who is interested in exploring how black art is used as part of the healing process.

Rod McGaha 

Helina Metaferia

   b. Washington, DC  

    Lives and works in New York, New York  

                  Headdress 62, 2023  

                 Mixed-media collage  

                 Courtesy of the artist  

Collage subject: Lakesha Calvin, Gallery Coordinator, Fisk University Galleries  

         Photography: LeXander Bryant

The material in Calvin’s crown is sourced from the special collections at Fisk and the Civil Rights Room at the Nashville Public Library; it is related to the Nashville Student Movement led by Diane Nash. By Way of Revolution honors the history, labor, and impact of women at the forefront of activism past and present.

Two other works from the By Way of Revolution series have been installed as vinyl murals on Talley-Brady Hall. Another original work of art is featured in Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage at the Frist Art Museum in Nashville.   

Reference: Selections from the Collection

Featuring work in collage from such pioneers as David Driskell and Romare Bearden. The work of Sam Middleton, Frances E. Thompson, and contemporary artist and activist, Dread Scott.

Romare Bearden, “The Train”. 1974. Lithograph 16/20 AP.