An Archive of Care: Reframing Our Understanding of Family, Place, and Identity, an exhibition by artist Robin North that explores how rural Black Southern families in Jackson County, Texas use visual art as a means of resistance and narrative reclamation. This exhibition challenges prevailing narratives about race decolonizes knowledge production and empowers Black communities to tell their own stories as a participatory collective.
An Archive of Care centers on the subtle yet profound ways visual imagery was employed to challenge dominant narratives. Family photographs, handwritten records, and other artifacts visually tell moments and encoded messages of survival, defiance, collective memory, and cultural pride meant for future generations. The process of archiving these materials is presented as an act of care, a way to protect and continue the resistance of these ancestors. Through a human-centered design approach, North focuses on building archives of care and ensuring that materials are preserved, shared, and remain under community ownership and copyright. This methodology prioritizes accessibility and ethical engagement with rural communities, acknowledging their specific needs and cultural contexts.
