Roots & Routes: A Visual Exploration of Black Southern Legacy

A group exhibition on view April 24–May 31, 2026. Curated by Allison Retina Stewart-Creeks, the exhibition brings together Ayo Scott, Jordan Lumpkins, Kevin B. Jones, and Felicita “Felli” Maynard in a meditation on memory, migration, and the enduring pulse of Black cultural life in the American South.

Drawing from the traditions of New Orleans and the broader American South, Roots & Routes asks a simple but enduring question: What does where you’ve been say about where you’re going? Across painting, photography, craft, and storytelling, the featured artists explore how heritage travels through people, neighborhoods, and generations—reminding us that culture is not something we inherit fully formed, but something we shape, remix, protect, and pass forward.

About the Exhibition

At the center of the exhibition is the work of Ayo Scott, whose canvases hum with motion. Figures blur, drip, and vibrate with color, echoing the rhythms of second lines, masking traditions, and everyday street rituals that define New Orleans’ cultural identity. Scott’s work flows through the main halls and foyer as a visual through-line, creating a sense of movement throughout the building. In the foyer gift shop gallery, Scott transforms the space into a working maker environment inspired by his father, the renowned artist John T. Scott—featuring works made from stretched denim, embroidered fabric, aluminum castings, and handmade paper.

Photographer and poet Kevin B. Jones contributes photographic and poetic works that serve as moments of reflection—exploring how language, image, and memory shape identity. Jordan Lumpkins and Felicita “Felli” Maynard extend the dialogue through storytelling and process-based practice in the film room, inviting visitors to consider how personal histories and material traditions become pathways to understanding cultural identity. Together, these four artists form something like a gumbo: distinct ingredients, inseparable result.