VisArts presents “Passage/way/s,” a groundbreaking art exhibition that reflects on the legacies of enslaved Black people and the various ways they imagined liberation through escape, refusal, collective care and resistance. The captivating exhibition will run from January 18 through March 5, 2023, with an opening reception on Friday, January 27 at Gibbs Street Gallery on 155 Gibbs St.

The thought-provoking mixed-media installation features the work of Maryland native Jessica Valoris, a multidisciplinary artist and community facilitator known for her efforts in amplifying Black history and culture.

Attendees can expect a sensory and spiritual experience as they tour the space of rituals and reverence. Through performance, sculpture, paint and sketch, Valoris weaves together the complex history of Black ancestors and their various passageways toward a liberated future. Inspired by daily acts of study and reflection, Passage/way/s reimagines the sacred nature of the truck patch, night sky and waterways. Every visitor will receive a limited-edition Passage/way/s zine that features the artwork of Valoris while supplies last.

“Passage/way/s is a history-informed installation that honors Black ancestors whose names are often not documented. My work is an essential meditation that honors local histories of fugitivity,” explained Valoris. “By wrestling with these histories in a way that’s constructive, my hope is that visitors walk away from the exhibition transformed.”

Inspired by the earth-based traditions of her Black American and Jewish ancestry, Valoris explores ideas through the lens of metaphysics, spirituality and Afrofuturism. Her most recent body of work, Black Fugitive Folklore, has been shown at The Phillips Collection, The Kreeger Museum, Afrikana Film Festival and Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Admission to Gibbs Street Gallery is free. For more information visit visartscenter.org or jessicavaloris.com.