Blanc Gallery, in partnership with the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute, proudly presents FROM MEMORY TO MOVEMENT: EMMETT AT 85, a powerful group art exhibition commemorating what would have been Emmett Till’s 85th birthday (b. July 25, 1941).

Curated by Raymond A. Thomas, the exhibition brings together a distinguished roster of Black Chicago-bred and Chicago-based contemporary artists whose works reflect on memory, identity, resistance, grief, and liberation. Participating artists include: Paul Branton, Roger Carter, Gerald Griffin, Candace Hunter, Tonika Lewis Johnson, Bryant Lamont, John Caleb Pendleton, Max Sansing, Norman Teague, Raymond A. Thomas, Bernard Williams, and Kevin (WAK) Williams.

FROM MEMORY TO MOVEMENT: EMMETT AT 85 serves not only as an act of remembrance but also as a call toward collective reflection and continued movement. Through painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media, participating artists reexamine Emmett Till’s story beyond martyrdom, asking urgent questions about Black life, inheritance, historical memory, and the future of justice in America.

The exhibition honors not only Emmett Till’s life but also the powerful truth-telling of Mamie Till-Mobley, whose courageous decision to reveal the brutality inflicted upon her son became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement and continues to resonate through contemporary struggles for racial justice and human dignity.

Each work within the exhibition becomes a site of reckoning and revelation, bridging past and present while holding space for both devastation and joy. Together, the artists illuminate how Emmett Till’s legacy continues to shape Black cultural memory and collective resistance across generations.

“At its core, FROM MEMORY TO MOVEMENT: EMMETT AT 85 is a sacred gathering of artistic voices committed to legacy, justice, and the transformative power of art,” says curator Raymond A. Thomas. “The exhibition asks viewers not only to look back, but to see forward and imagine a future where Black life is not only grieved, but cherished, protected, and free.”

The complete exhibition timeline includes the following events:

Artist Talk
June 27, 2026; 3pm-6pm

Featured artists of FROM MEMORY TO MOVEMENT: EMMETT AT 85, will be in conversation with moderator LeeAnn Trotter and curator Raymond A. Thomas about the art-making process, the importance of elevating the Till family legacy in today’s movement times, and the ways the exhibition holds space for both devastation and joy, bridging the past and the present through the transformative power of art.

Radical Joy Music Celebration
July 25, 2026; 6pm-10pm

This event will serve as the exhibition’s culminating closing reception for FROM MEMORY TO MOVEMENT: EMMETT AT 85,, featuring live music, dancing, and communal celebration at the gallery.

To RSVP for the opening reception, please follow this link: http://bit.ly/4uD3haI

To read more about the exhibition, please visit the exhibition page (link)