CONTACT: [GALLERY NAME] [GALLERY ADDRESS] [GALLERY PHONE] [GALLERY EMAIL] [GALLERY WEBSITE]
MEDIA CONTACT: [CURATOR/GALLERY CONTACT NAME] [DIRECT PHONE] [DIRECT EMAIL]
[CITY, STATE] – [DATE] – [GALLERY NAME] presents "Southern White Amnesia," a powerful textile exhibition by artist Zak Foster examining how white American families pass down—or deliberately forget—stories about their role in slavery and its ongoing legacy. The exhibition runs from [OPENING DATE] through [CLOSING DATE], with an opening reception on [DATE] from [TIME].
When Foster told a family member about discovering records showing their ancestors had enslaved people, the immediate response was "no"—followed by insistence that they would "surely know" if this were true. That moment of family denial launched this entire collection.
Foster's work moves from confronting hard evidence in old estate documents and Civil War letters to attempting communication with ancestors through dream work and animated family photographs. Key pieces include hand-sewn dolls representing slave-owning ancestors piled into an antique doll bed, a genealogical quilt tracing how enslaved-generated wealth flows through generations to benefit the artist today, and "Snake Handler!"—a church banner delivering a message about inherited injustice that came through a dream.
Using traditional textile techniques and repurposed church banners from his Southern Baptist childhood, Foster explores how white families maintain silence while continuing to benefit from historical wealth. The exhibition includes 209 Civil War letters from Foster's family that never once mention slavery despite the writers' Confederate service.
Rather than ending with historical revelation, the work culminates in active repair—both literal mending of a found quilt and ongoing spiritual work of ancestral accountability. Foster commits 100% of proceeds from sales to scholarships through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, making the repair work concrete and immediate.
Foster is a community-taught artist whose work draws on Southern textile traditions. His work has been featured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and on the Met Gala red carpet. He is the author of "The World Needs Your Next Quilt" and hosts the Quilty Nook community.
Exhibition Information
"Southern White Amnesia" [GALLERY NAME] | [GALLERY ADDRESS] | [CITY, STATE ZIP]
Dates: [OPENING DATE] – [CLOSING DATE] Gallery Hours: [HOURS] | Admission: [ADMISSION DETAILS] Opening Reception: [DATE], [TIME]
For high-resolution images and additional information, see artist site or contact [MEDIA CONTACT].