“Reflections: David Drake's Storage Jar,” The Art Institute of Chicago (2022)

Dave Drake was born into slavery around 1800, and labored as a potter in Edgefield, South Carolina. Drake is known for inscribing his works with poetry and his own signature, a sign of resistance and fortitude in the face of enslavement. Of the over 100 known works by Drake, around 40 feature his written imprint.

Upon acquisition of one of Drake’s storage jars, the Art Institute of Chicago hosted a six-month installation designed to invite reflection from March-September 2022. Alongside a short coauthor reflection by myself and Tiya Miles, the space shared perspectives from: the artist Gerald Brown; Ian Damont Martin, executive director of Inclusion and Belonging at the Art Institute of Chicago; and Elizabeth McGoey, Ann S. and Samuel M. Mencoff Associate Curator at AIC.