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Writer's pictureMyah Goff

Haunting portraits give voice to Black history


A close up view of a painting of two children, done in all browns and tans, reflecting the sepia toned photographs of the day. The children are both wearing hats, and neither one of them is smiling.
Detail of Christopher E. Harrison's acrylic painting depicting Buchanan and Martha Child, two children featured in the archival "Seeking for the Lost" column from "The Appeal," a St. Paul Black-owned newspaper. The ad reads: "These two children have not been seen by their mother since 1861. They were born to some man in North Carolina or South Carolina." Photo credit: Myah Goff

If you step into the “Seeking for the Lost” exhibit at the Weisman Art Museum, you’ll find eight portraits by Minneapolis artist Christopher E. Harrison greeting you with haunting stares. 


Each piece is like a “ghost whispering,” Harrison said, “giving them voices that they probably didn’t have back then.” The acrylic paintings depict the faces of Black men, women and children who went missing in the years following slavery and the post-Reconstruction era.


A man stands in his studio, wearing a black shirt underneath a bright red cardigan. His arms are crossed in front of his chest and he's smiling gently.
Artist Christopher E. Harrison, creator of the "Seeking for the Lost" portraits. Photo credit: Scott Streble

One painting features two Black children, with a newspaper clipping above their heads that reads: “Bunchan and Martha Child - These two children have not been seen by their mothers since 1861. They were sold to some man in North Carolina or South Carolina.” 


“Not all people were out in the fields picking cotton or tobacco,” Harrison said. “There were people at different social levels and ages. I have portraits of senior citizens, portraits of children, portraits of full-fledged adults, to show the breadth of those who were affected by slavery.”


Another painting depicts a man gazing into the distance like an old photograph. The advertisement says “Smith Fields wishes to find his father William Fields, who was a slave before the war owned by Luke Matthews.”


Harrison’s portraits are paired with advertisements from the “Seeking for the Lost” column in “The Appeal,” a Black-owned St. Paul newspaper that provided a platform for individuals searching for lost family members.


An oval painting in a gold-painted frame of a young black man in a dark coat over a high-collared white shirt. The man appears to gaze wistfully into the distance. A cut out from a newspaper clipping is attached to the painting, just above his head.
Christopher E. Harrison's painting of William Fields draws from The Appeal's "Seeking for the Lost" column. The ad reads: "Smith Fields wishes to find his father William Fields who was a slave before the war and owned by Luke Matthews." Photo credit: Myah Goff

“This format gave people a lot of hope that maybe they could possibly reconnect with their loved ones,” Harrison said. “After coming out of such a tragic experience, now they had this ‘freedom’ to be able to pursue larger ideas and connect with the people they were separated from.”


Curated by Jokeda “Jojo” Bell, executive director of the African American Interpretive Center of Minnesota (AAICM), the exhibit aims to illuminate Black Minnesotan history and highlight the role of Black-owned newspapers in promoting literacy and activism. 


“I always try to find something that’s, not necessarily novel but, maybe an aspect of Black Minnesota history that people don’t know,” Bell said. “I want people to be more curious about life in Minnesota for Black people before the 1900s. That’s something I focus on in my own academic work: finding other stories. What other stories are we missing?”


Bell, who frequently came across the “Seeking for the Lost” column in her research at the center, felt compelled to reimagine the lives of those mentioned in the advertisements.


“I think within library systems, there’s a real focus on what we consider archives,” Bell said. “The ‘archive’ as we think of it is really written by white men throughout history in America, right? They’re focusing on certain aspects of their lives but the people who were enslaved were written down as cargo… we don’t have their story.”


A photograph of a woman seated on the floor, leaning on her knees, with her left hand crossed in front of her and her right hand up by her cheek. Her face is turned to the left to face the camera. She is wearing a dress with a bold pattern.
Jokeda “Jojo” Bell, curator of the "Seeking for the Lost" exhibit and executive director of the African American Interpretive Center of Minnesota. Photo credit: AAICM

The collaboration between Bell and Harrison gives “life to these stories,” Harrison said. “It gives you a window into time about where we’ve come from, where we are and where we can hopefully be on the shoulders of these people who had to do a lot to stay alive and make a life for themselves.”


The exhibit’s themes resonate with Harrison’s recent billboard installation at George Floyd Square in South Minneapolis. This installation is part of the “Social Justice Billboard Project” initiated by Northeast Sculpture Gallery following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.


Harrison’s billboard titled “Siren,” features a Black woman with her eyes shut and mouth agape, as if frozen mid-scream.


“The idea for this series was to talk about the physical reaction to all of these events that were happening to Black people at the time with deaths from law enforcement, and trying to encapsulate that through portraiture,” Harrison said. 


“Seeking for the Lost” and “Siren” not only honor the legacy of Black history in Minnesota but also prompt viewers to reflect on the enduring impact of slavery and the ongoing struggle for recognition and justice.


The Weisman Art Museum will host a “Paint & Listen” event with Harrison and Bell on October 17 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.. Art supplies and complimentary snacks will be provided.


Date: Through February 16, 2025 

Time: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday

Location: 333 E. River Road, Minneapolis

Cost: Free

For more information: wam.umn.edu

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