A new exhibition at the Kramer Gallery in Silver Spring starting Wednesday, Nov. 2. will look to raise awareness of lynchings that took place in Montgomery County in the 1880s.
The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County will showcase original artwork from seven artists in their “Certain Party or Parties Unknown” exhibit – a social justice art initiative.
The exhibit first appeared as a temporary public art exhibit that aimed to promote community dialogue about racial justice in Montgomery County, according to the county arts and humanities’ council website.
Now, the arts and humanities council will display the artworks first featured in 2021’s outdoor installation at the Kramer Gallery for roughly two months. The exhibition will open on Wednesday and run through Jan. 13.
“Certain Party or Parties Unknown” highlights three Black men who were victims of racial terror lynchings in the county during the 1880s: John Diggs-Dorsey, George Peck and Sidney Randolph.
The gallery will host an opening reception for the exhibit on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. Interested guests are encouraged to RSVP. The gallery is open each Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The exhibition coincides with dozens of other county events commemorating Remembrance and Reconciliation Month in November. The county will commemorate Emancipation Day on Nov. 1—celebrating 158 years since the state freed all enslaved people. Residents will also have the opportunity to attend county events related to slavery, history and racial justice to promote an understanding of county history throughout the month.
Related article:
Downtown Rockville Public Art Focuses on Lynchings in County’s Past
