On January 25, the 20 North Gallery will open the 35th consecutive Black History Month exhibit. Started in 1977 by Peggy Grant, the exhibit is the longest running Black History celebration in Toledo. A stalwart in the downtown gallery loop, 20 North Gallery has hosted the exhibit for two decades. TCP spoke with Mrs. Grant, who stepped aside in June 2012 as longtime director of the gallery, and to Condessa Croninger, the current director, who is spearheading the annual exhibition for the first time.
Mrs. Grant, where did your interest in beginning this exhibit come about?
I grew up in the arts and had parents who supported my endeavors. That affection carried over to the artists whom the exhibit supported early on. Artists whose voices I felt could not be lost.
You’ve had a long relationship with 20 North Gallery. When did they come into the picture and what is Condessa Croninger’s relationship to the exhibit?
They approached me and asked me to be curator. When I accepted, I brought the exhibit with me. We knew many of the artists who were initially showcased, the number of which has escalated over the years. Condessa is helping to carry on the affection for the exhibit and establishing her own tradition in the process.
Ms. Croninger, could you elaborate on why the gallery, and particularly this exhibit, matters to you?
I have been a patron of 20 North Gallery since its opening and knew Peggy before that. The exhibit has been a great passion — and a source of local appreciation in Toledo — because it celebrates the American Experience through the passionate eyes of regional African American artists. It matters because it grants the artist an opportunity
to take a chance with the work they show, to offer a riveting perspective to the public.
The prospect of continuing on after Mrs. Grant stepped aside must have seemed daunting.
With today’s economic realities, it has forced us to sustain the exhibit through sponsors and buyers. We’ve done this through an unfatigable committee of community artists that have gathered together to keep the exhibit going. They’ve brought in the sponsors and the attention. This year’s committee is headed by Aaron Bivins, who has been a featured artist in the exhibit.
What is the lasting importance of this exhibition?
Serving as a platform for artists wanting to get a foot into the professional art world and allowing them to reveal their experience in correlation with the exhibit.
Black History Month 2013: The American Experience opens at 20 North Gallery,
18 N. St Clair St., with a reception from 6-9pm on Friday, January 25. 419-241-2400. www.20northgallery.net.
