Heritage. Legacy. Vision.

Exhibitions

Simona Atkins Allen Gallery

Photographed by Nori McDuffie, @shotbynori

The Calling: Hoodoo's Communion with the Ancestors

Phillip Loken
October 7 - January 2

After 13 years of developing his image-making practice, North Carolina–based photographer and cultural worker Phillip Loken presents his first solo exhibition, The Calling: Hoodoo’s Communion With The Ancestors. Through pigment-printed photographs and quotes from Zora Neale Hurston’s Hoodoo in America, the exhibition honors a Black spiritual tradition that endures across generations. The series documents The Calling, a 2024 Hoodoo Homecoming at the Eno River in Durham, where 26 Black participants gathered to commune with their ancestors and celebrate Black power, resistance, and liberation.

The People's Gallery

Black Cowboys, Generations Chapter II
Stephen Hurst
August 5 - September 30

Black Cowboys, Generations Chapter 2 continues the story of the African American cowboy, a tradition often overlooked yet deeply rooted in American history. Centered in Yadkin County, North Carolina, the work follows young boys discovering freedom on horseback and the elders who keep these traditions alive.

Through portraits and environments, the exhibition highlights the resilience, pride, and continuity of a culture that threads generations together—bridging past and present, labor and leisure. By preserving these stories, it honors a living legacy that challenges narrow ideas of what it means to be a cowboy in America.

The Calling: Hoodoo's Communion with The Ancestors A Photography Exhibition by Phillip Loken

North Carolina photographer and cultural worker Phillip Loken presents his first solo exhibition, The Calling: Hoodoo’s Communion With The Ancestors, honoring Black ancestral traditions through photography and spirituality. The series documents The Calling, an inaugural Hoodoo Homecoming at the Eno River, celebrating connection, resistance, and the living presence of the ancestors.

Field Notes Black Leisure and the Land by Willie Welch, William Gattis, and Richard Tuck

Field Notes: Black Leisure and the Land When we think of leisure and the outdoors, the image often conjures trails, parks, picnics, and sunlit afternoons. But for many Black Americans, leisure has always carried deeper significances: a claim to space, a gesture of freedom, and a rehearsal of community belonging. As the National Park Service history of African‑American outdoor recreation shows, “leisure and recreation became … an assertion of equality, and Black leisure spaces

Black Cowboys Generations Chapter II Photographed by C. Stephen Hurst

Thanks to some trending new music, one of the many subcultures in our community—the Black cowboy tradition —has been receiving steady attention. The music has not only brought Black cowboys into the spotlight but also sparked curiosity about what life is like on a ranch. Trail rides have seen some of the highest attendance in decades. A trail ride is when a ranch or saddle club opens its land over the weekend, welcoming visitors to ride, dance, and fellowship in a safe, comm