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Submitted by African Diaspora Museology Institute
Oct. 24, 2025 – The Struggle of Folk Through Art: Panhandle Slim at Savannah State University opens Nov. 7 in the Art Gallery of the Asa H. Gordon Library at Savannah State University. The exhibition, on view through March 31, 2026, celebrates the voices, humor and resilience reflected in the work of Savannah artist Panhandle Slim, whose painted portraits and words have become fixtures of the city’s creative and civic life.
Organized by the African Diaspora Museology Institute (ADMI) in partnership with the SSU Library and the Department of Fine Arts, Humanities and Wellness, the exhibition is curated by Dr. Deborah Johnson-Simon, scholar-in-residence and founder of ADMI.
Through portraits painted on salvaged wood and paired with words that matter—lyrics, testimony and everyday wisdom—Panhandle Slim turns quotation into conversation. His work bridges Southern vernacular sign painting, folk and outsider art traditions, and community organizing, creating a visual language rooted in empathy and social engagement. These pieces travel widely—taped to windows, nailed to fences, lifted at marches or hung in galleries—each carrying the spirit of civic participation.
At Savannah State University, The Struggle of Folk Through Art connects Slim’s community-centered work with the enduring legacy of Virginia and Calvin Kiah, two trailblazing educators and artists whose home became one of Savannah’s first African American museums. The exhibition includes a tribute to the community campaign that saved the Kiah House Museum, underscoring the shared belief that art helps a city remember, care and act.
Visitors are invited to explore how art—plainspoken and public—serves as both collective memory and civic voice. The exhibition encourages reflection on how everyday people and local heroes shape the narratives of place and purpose through creativity.
Opening Day Schedule — Friday, Nov. 7, 2025
Art Gallery, Asa H. Gordon Library, Savannah State University
Noon–4 p.m.
- Noon: Doors open and Sign Studio begins (visitors can make their own inspired signs).
- 1 p.m.: Opening remarks by the library dean, Dr. Deborah Johnson-Simon, and the artist.
- 1:30 p.m.: Gallery walkthroughs and reception.
Exhibition dates: Nov. 7, 2025–March 31, 2026
Hours: Monday–Friday, noon–4 p.m.
Location: Art Gallery, Asa H. Gordon Library, Savannah State University
Admission: Free and open to the public
Read Past Coverage of Virginia Jackson Kiah and the Kiah House Museum>
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