Overview

EXODUS presents the work of seven artists—Ron “Akili” Anderson, Wesley Clark, Larry W. Cook, Shaunte Gates, Hubert Massey, Stan Squirewell, and Felandus Thames—whose mentorship, inspiration, and support have profoundly shaped the creative journey of Jamea Richmond-Edwards. Displayed alongside her solo exhibition Another World and Yet the Same, this grouping honors the vital role of artistic kinship and collaboration in navigating both personal and structural challenges within the creative field.

Curated by Richmond-Edwards, the exhibition is titled EXODUS to acknowledge the uncertain path to becoming a professional artist and the community of peers and teachers who helped her navigate the road through shared wisdom and solidarity. The works in this exhibition span diverse mediums and explore different themes, yet together they map a collective voyage—rooted in resilience, transformation, and the enduring power of artistic exchange. This show features an intergenerational group of artists, including Richmond-Edwards’s high-school mentor Hubert Massey; her MFA professor at Howard University, Ron “Akili” Anderson; and peers from her formative years as an emerging artist in Jackson, Mississippi; Washington, DC; and Detroit, Michigan. 

EXODUS is curated by Jamea Richmond-Edwards. Research support was provided by Taylor Scatliffe ’25 and Anna Totilca ’27. 

The Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art’s programs are made possible, in part, with support from the Daniel W. Dietrich ’64 Arts Museum Programming Fund; the Johnson-Pote Museum Director Fund; the John B. Root ’44 Exhibition Fund; the Edward W. and Grace C. Root Endowment Fund; and the William G. Roehrick ’34 Lecture Fund. Additional support has been provided by the Daniel W. Dietrich ’64 Fund for Innovation in the Arts.