On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of slavery. The delay itself reveals a truth woven into American history: freedom declared is not always freedom delivered.
Curated by Marantz Moon, Is It True? examines the distance between liberation promised and liberation lived. More than 160 years after Juneteenth, Black Americans continue to navigate systemic inequities, wealth disparities, redlining, voter suppression, over-policing, and the ongoing struggle for self-determination. In this context, the exhibition poses a simple but urgent question: Is It True that we are free?
Featuring works by five artists, Is It True? brings together perspectives that reflect joy, grief, and imagination. Through painting, sculpture, mixed media, and conceptual practices, the artists explore both personal and collective understandings of freedoms inherited, denied, fought for, and still being envisioned.
5 years ago, Juneteenth became a federal holiday. Immediately, its legitimacy was threatened. This is a metaphor for Black freedom: it can be eroded in seconds if it is not carefully tended. This exhibition recognizes freedom not as a finished achievement, but as an ongoing practice requiring vigilance, care, and collective responsibility. Is It True? Challenges artists and viewers to consider what freedoms they possess, what freedoms remain unrealized, and what role each of us plays in bringing them into being.
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