28 Jan The Annual Augusta Black History Exhibition in the City Gallery 2026
About the exhibit:
The Annual Augusta Black History Exhibition is an exlporation into Augusta, GA’s rich past through a series of restored and enlarged photographs that bring historic moments, individuals and architecural landscapes back to life. The Mayoral Collection of Augusta Black History was a project developed in 2021 by former Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. along with the Lucy Craft Laney Museum in partnership with the Greater Augusta Arts Council to honor the lives of some of our most memorable, local icons during Black History Month.
In 2022, City Gallery Director Heather Dunaway decided to pair a local artists with the exhibit to further showcase all that Augusta has to offer. Those who have had works previously displayed were artists Art and Ashaela Abdon through their Golden Blocks Comic works, Devin Lovett, Theron Cartwright, and now the artists associated with the Golden Blocks Project – including Ashley Gray, Kristie Robin Johnson, Sara Cook, Audrey Sala Adenike Jeter-Allen, Travis “Godbrotha Trav” Wright, Xavier O. Jones, and Salonika Rhyne. Whos featured projects are on view for 2026.
Join the Greater Augusta Arts Council, the City of Augusta, the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History and artist in celebrating Augusta’s Black history by honoring those who made it. On view from Jan 16 – Mar 4, 2026. A Walk-and-Talk tour and artist discussion will be held on Friday, February 27, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Light refreshments to be served.
New photos added to the collection:
Augusta, Georgia has a deep and enduring connection to military service, woven into the city’s history and daily life. From generations of residents who have served to the lasting presence of Fort Eisenhower, the military has shaped Augusta’s identity, economy, and sense of community. Service members and their families have long called Augusta home, contributing not only to national defense but also to the cultural and civic fabric of the city.
Christine Gardener:
Christine Gardener was the Manager of the African American USO Club on Gwinnett Street. This picture shows the opening of the club in 1964. Pictured (l-r), Reverend A.M. Carter of the Pilgrim Health and Life Insurance Company, Commander of Fort Gordon, and Mrs. Christine Gardener.
Lt. Beatrice Baker:
A graduate of the Lamar School of Nursing, Lt. Beatrice “Ma Bea” Baker served in the Nursing Corps during World War II.
Command Sergeant Major Olin Dorsey:
Command Sergeant Major Olin Dorsey served as a Buffalo Soldier in the famed 24th Infantry Regiment in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II.
Burnadette Howard:
A 1966 graduate of T.W. Josey High School, Sergeant Burnadette Howard served as a drill sergeant in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam Conflict.
Sergeant First Class Arthur C. Dudley:
Born on January 2, 1922, Sergeant First Class Arthur C. Dudley served with distinction during World War II and the Korean War. Sergeant Dudley died on March 4, 2005.
This year’s decision to include these newest photographic additions to the exhibition was inspired by the most recent Golden Blocks Mural, painted by local artist Theron Cartwright, which honors that legacy by focusing on “heroes at home and abroad.” The mural recognizes both those who have served overseas and the everyday heroes within our community with military backgrounds who support, uplift, and sacrifice alongside them. By bringing these stories to the public landscape, the mural serves as a tribute to courage, resilience, and the shared commitment to service that continues to define Augusta.
In this series of new images, we highlight 5 members of the Augusta Community and pay tribute to their accomplishments.
What is the Golden Blocks Project?
Highlighted in this year’s exhibition are the murals and installations created thus far for the Golden Blocks Project. Which is a project spearheaded by the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History and the Greater Augusta Arts Council. Named the Golden Blocks Project, in reference to the historic nickname of the corridor of business and industry located on or near Campbell and Gwinnett Streets, this endeavor will create new public art that references the historical and cultural significance of these areas. Today, Campbell and Gwinnett Streets are James Brown and Laney-Walker Boulevards.
During the time of segregation, the area nicknamed the Golden Blocks was the heart of Augusta’s black business community. Federal “Red Line” policies prevented citizens from receiving bank mortgages within certain areas that were predominantly non-white populations, and businesses elsewhere in the city were allowed to discriminate against black patrons due to Jim Crow era laws. In the Laney Walker and Bethlehem neighborhoods, black-owned banks, insurance companies, theaters and other businesses worked to offset this discrimination and thrived, creating a strong sense of community.
For more information about the Golden Blocks Project contact:
Corey Rogers, Lucy Craft Laney Museum at Ocur761@Gmail.com
Visit the Golden Blocks Now via our free, public OpenTour trail!
https://georgia-humanities.opentour.site/augusta-s-golden-blocks
Phase 1: Ashley Gray and Kristie Robin Johnson
Ceramic artist Ashley Gray and local poet Kristie Robin Johnson collaborated on key elements of the Golden Blocks Project titled “Map of the Golden Blocks”, bringing together visual art and poetry to honor Augusta’s historic Black business corridor. Gray, an Aiken, South Carolina–based artist trained as a sculptor at Boston University, created hand-painted ceramic mosaic murals and commemorative tiles rooted in extensive historical research and close collaboration with the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History. Her contributions include the Golden Blocks Map at the Wallace Branch Library and historical marker tiles at sites such as the Penny Savings Bank and the former Burres Sanitarium.
Complementing this work, Augusta-based poet and educator Kristie Robin Johnson contributed original poetry, titled “Where Gold Remains” that centers marginalized voices and lived experience, using language to preserve memory and amplify the legacy of community resilience. Together, their interdisciplinary collaboration transforms history into an accessible public experience through both material and narrative storytelling.
Find this installation at the Wallace Branch Library.
Phase 1: Audrey Sala Adenike Jeter-Allen
Audrey “Sala Adenike” Jeter-Allen is a visual artist, composer, and arts educator whose work is distinguished by vibrant color, cultural symbolism, and a deep commitment to education and community storytelling. Trained in both music and visual arts, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Performing Arts from the State University of New York Empire College and served for 12 years as visual arts teacher and art director at the Jessye Norman School of the Arts in Augusta, Georgia. For the Golden Blocks Project, Jeter-Allen created “The Golden Blocks Legacy Mural” on the former Pilgrim Insurance Annex Building, honoring four prominent figures and institutions from Augusta’s historic Black business district through portraiture and Adinkra symbolism.
Expanding the project’s interdisciplinary scope, she also composed an original musical work performed by Creative Impressions, a youth music ensemble and arts education organization serving the Central Savannah River Area since 1996. Known for providing comprehensive musical training and mentorship to young people ages 8–18 and for collaborations with institutions such as the Augusta Symphony and Augusta Chorale, Creative Impressions’ performance brings an intergenerational and educational dimension to the project, reinforcing the Golden Blocks Project’s mission to celebrate history through collective artistic expression.
Listen to her song, as performed by Creative Impressions on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/2qw7k8NUVS4
Find this mural at the Corner of Pine St. and Laney Walker Blvd.
Phase 1: Sara Cooks
Sara Cooks is a public artist whose work for the Golden Blocks Project transforms Augusta’s historic Black business corridor into an interactive landscape of memory and place. Cooks designed and installed a series of sculptural “Golden Blocks Markers” structures in the form of golden “blocks” along James Brown and Laney-Walker Boulevards, each placed at the site of a historically significant Black-owned institution or community space.
These markers commemorate locations including The Penny Savings and Loan Bank, Burruss Sanitarium, Immaculate Conception Academy, F.M. Dugas and Sons Funeral Home, and the African American USO Club—institutions that anchored economic, social, and cultural life during segregation. Conceived as permanent wayfinding and storytelling elements, Cooks’ sculptural blocks ground the Golden Blocks Project in physical space, inviting the public to encounter history at its original sites. Each block is topped with an illustrative ceramic tile created by artist Ashley Gray, whose imagery further enriches the educational and commemorative purpose of the work.
You can find these markers lining Laney Walker Blvd.
Phase 2: Xavier Jones and Travis Wright
Visual artist Xavier O. Jones and poet Travis Wright collaborated on “Embers of HOPE”, a mural and accompanying poetry component created for the Golden Blocks Project. Their joint contribution pairs visual storytelling with spoken word, using art and language to reflect themes of resilience, memory, and possibility rooted in Augusta’s historic Black business district. Jones was assisted in the mural painting process by fellow artist Art “the Artist” Abdon.
In addition to the mural, Wright developed a poetry manuscript and recorded spoken word pieces that are featured in the project’s digital walking tour, allowing audiences to engage with the work through multiple sensory and narrative layers. Together, Jones and Wright’s collaboration expands the Golden Blocks Project through an interdisciplinary approach that honors history while inviting contemporary reflection and community connection.
Find this mural installed near the intersection of Laney Walker Blvd and James Brown Blvd.
Click here to hear words from poet Travis Wright aka God Brotha Trav by watching the YouTube video.
Phase 2: Salonika Rhyne
Salonika Rhyne is an Augusta-based muralist and multidisciplinary visual artist whose work centers on cultural pride, community history, and the celebration of Black women’s leadership. Commissioned through a competitive call for artists, Rhyne created “Women of Empowerment”, a Golden Blocks Project mural. Unveiled in May 2023, the mural honors six influential women educators from Augusta’s historic Golden Blocks—Ursula E. Collins, Rosa C. Tutt, Marjorie B. Carter, Margaret L. Laney, Rosa T. Beard, and Ruth B. Crawford—whose leadership shaped educational and civic life during segregation and beyond.
Through bold color, expressive composition, and public visibility, Rhyne’s mural reinforces the Golden Blocks Project’s mission to preserve and uplift the legacy of the Laney Walker and Bethlehem neighborhoods while celebrating the enduring impact of Black excellence and empowerment.
Find this mural at The Lucky Spot, 1119 James Brown Blvd.
Click here to watch the ribbon cutting ceremony as reported by WRDW!
Phase 3: Theron Cartwright
Local artist and muralist Theron Cartwright brings a powerful, community-centered vision to “Golden Blocks: A Community Built on the Shoulders of Giants.” Inspired by influential musicians, educators, and landmark businesses, Cartwright’s work reflects the cultural richness, resilience, and unity that have shaped the River Region. The mural stands as a vibrant testament to collective memory and community uplift.
Cartwright’s creative process is both intuitive and deliberate, evolving uniquely with each project. Sometimes beginning with a fleeting idea and other times a fully formed vision, he refines his work through sketching, outlining, and thoughtful revision until it fully expresses its intent. Using tools as simple as a pencil, sketchbook, or iPad, Cartwright balances creativity with technical skill. His work consistently explores themes of self-love, identity, and cultural pride, aiming to inspire reflection and appreciation in viewers.
Find this Mural at Fresh Startz, 1134 Laney Walker Blvd.
Phase 4: Theron Cartwright
This powerful new mural is part of an ongoing series celebrating Augusta’s African American heritage in the historic Laney-Walker and Bethlehem neighborhoods. The mural, titled “Heroes at Home and Abroad” honors the service and dedication of African Americans in the military with ties to Augusta during the Golden Blocks Era, highlighting their courage, resilience, and the lasting impact of their contributions on the city’s history.
Created by artist Theron Cartwright, the mural also serves as a form of quiet advocacy. Shaped by his lived experiences as a Black man, Cartwright’s work reflects a deep sensitivity to justice, humanity, and opposition to oppression and marginalization. Influenced early on by family members who made art feel accessible and joyful, and later by teachers and fellow artists, Cartwright continues to evolve his practice through painting, animation, and storytelling. With aspirations to publish more comics and further refine his craft, he encourages other artists to stay curious, embrace the process, and never stop learning—allowing art to be both a personal pursuit and a powerful vehicle for change.
Find this Mural at Fresh Startz, 1134 Laney Walker Blvd.
