I heard an exhibit opened in Philadelphia last week! The Museum of the American Revolution held its largest exhibit opening ever with Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia last Thursday. CDC collaborated with the MoAR team, headed by Aimee Newell, with Matthew Skic, curator, Kathryn Babbs Miller, project manager, and Rebecca Phipps, art director. The Museum arranged for works by composer Francis Johnson to be performed by local musicians. Johnson was a talented fiddle player, a keyed bugle virtuoso, and a friend of the Fortens.
The Museum, renowned for exposing all the stories of the American Revolution, not only the heroic narratives we are familiar with, has done it again. Few people outside of scholarly circles and Philadelphians are familiar with James Forten, but now he has a national stage with the exhibit Content•Design designed in collaboration with the Museum staff. Over 150 artifacts from 53 institutions were sourced to interpret the facts of the Forten family and themes of patriotism, racial violence, and culture. Our exhibit plan created an accessible pathway, organized the content areas, created special features, and optimized the Museum’s case and wall resources.