Art exhibition pays tribute to the strength and creativity of Black women

  The past and present come together in the exciting exhibition Modern Sojourner & Sojourner Truth’s Malden – now showing at the Malden Public Library’s Converse Galleries through June 8. The exhibition features the work “Modern Sojourner” by renowned artist Gale Fulton Ross. “Modern Sojourner” is a Fulton Ross tour de force done in her signature figurative style, capturing the wisdom and strength of the family matriarch.

  A fierce civil rights and arts activist since the 1960s, Fulton Ross has been representing the Black community as a painter, printmaker, sculptor and multimedia visual artist for decades. Raised in Malden, Fulton Ross has a bachelor’s degree from Massachusetts College of Art and a Master of Fine Arts from California College of Arts and Crafts, Berkeley. She currently shares studios in New York, Los Angeles and Sarasota, Florida.

  In “Sojourner Truth’s Malden,” historical artifacts provide a glimpse into the life and times of the celebrated African American evangelist, abolitionist, women’s rights activist and author of the famed “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech. Themes from Sojourner’s life in New England are explored – including slavery in the North, the Fugitive Slave Act and the resistance by enslaved people to their bondage – as well as her longstanding friendships with Malden abolitionists Bishop Gilbert Haven and James Redpath.

  The exhibition is made possible by the support of the Malden Public Library Board of Trustees and Library Staff, with special support provided by Denise Russell, John Tramondozzi, the Friends of the Malden Public Library and the Malden Historical Society.

  The Converse Galleries are located at 36 Salem St. in Malden. The exhibition is open on Wednesdays from 2 to 3 p.m., Saturdays from 2 to 4 p.m. or by special arrangement. Group tours are welcome. For information or to schedule a tour, contact the Malden Public Library at 781-324-0218 or by email at info@maldenpubliclibrary.org.