History and memory blend together in this multi-site contemporary art showcase that considers the role of photography and film in remembering the legacies of slavery.

“Free As They Want to Be: Artists Committed to Memory” debuted in 2022 at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Now, the exhibition travels the United States and is currently on display in a multi-site exhibition at the Baton Rouge Gallery, Southern University and the West Baton Rouge Museum.

“Photography and film allow us a unique opportunity to relate to the stories of those who came before,” Jason Andreasen, President and CEO of the Baton Rouge Gallery, notes in a press release. “Hopefully this exhibition not only invites people to think about those ideas of personal freedom and the legacy of slavery itself but also explore their own thoughts around memory.”

According to Andreasen, the host organizations themselves resonate with the curatorial mission through their own histories. What began as the biggest roadblock to bringing the exhibition to life, physical gallery space, turned into a collaboration that deepened the story being told.

“The result is three sites that themselves have ties to the legacy of slavery: the state’s largest HBCU, a museum that tells the full story of sugar production in Louisiana and a gallery situated in a former pool house for a Jim Crow-era segregated pool,” Andreasen notes. “I think the history of the sites themselves adds something intangible to this presentation as well.”

Contemporary artists on display include Bisa Butler, Carrie Mae Weems, Dawoud Bey, Hank Willis Thomas, Radcliffe Bailey and more. The display sites, as well as the supplementary pieces by Louisiana-based artists, complement the touring works by adding local perspective.

Through August 23, the museums will offer free admission as well as a variety of programs throughout the month.

To learn more about the artists on display at this multi-site exhibition visit the Baton Rouge Gallery’s website.