Soul & Spirit: Albany Museum of Art Celebrates Juneteenth

ALBANY, Ga. – The Albany Museum of Art celebrates the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth with a very special event this week. Soul & Spirit – A Celebration of Black Art, History, and Culture will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. On Thursday, June 18th. This event is restricted to adults 21 and older, and tickets are available online and at the door.

From albanymuseum.com: “As we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation in a few weeks, it’s also important to celebrate the 160th anniversary of America’s longest-observed African-American holiday, one that commemorates the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation,” AMA Curator of African Collections and African Diasporic Art Sidney Pettice said. “There is no better way to honor the traditions of this holiday than with a celebration of Black art, history, and culture.”

Juneteenth is a portmanteau of June and nineteen, commemorating June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordin Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas. Beginning as church and community gatherings in Texas, Juneteenth expanded to other states. It was formally recognized by all states by 1979, and Congress made June 19 an official federal holiday—Juneteenth National Independence Day—in 2021.

DJ MarlyMar will provide the soundtrack for the event. Vendors in the lobby and Willson Auditorium will include Smokin Peace, Better Way Grocers, Q’s Cakes, Genotra’s Gems, and Blue Buzz Bling Jewelry. There will also be a beer-and-wine bar. “Our friends from the Dougherty County Public Library and the South Georgia Archives at Thronateeska Heritage Center will also be here with tips and ideas on tracking family history,” AMA Director of Education and Public Programming Annie Van Oteghem said.

The Black history trivia contest will take place amid Shell’s artwork in the Haley Gallery. “The contest was a hit with those who attended last year,” Pettice said. “Teams of four can win prizes like gift cards for Bee Smoothie, Wadsworth and Jae Jarrell exhibition catalogs and Jillian Marie Browning Blue Magic prints, and AMA cups and t-shirts.”

Admission to Soul & Spirit is $5, or $10 for admission with two drink tickets. Additional drink tickets can be purchased for $5 each. Tickets can be purchased HERE.

“We hope everyone will come out and help us recognize this important date in American history in a way that lifts the spirit and honors traditions of Juneteenth,” Pettice said.