1619 Flux: Art + Activism is participating in the April 5th Republic Bank First Friday Hop

Exhibit runs February 16th to May 19th
open on Saturdays 11am to 3pm

1619 Flux is proud to present our newest exhibition, “Montage Lives! Our Artistic Past Informs The Future”. Featuring works of art from members of the historical artist collective “Montage”.

In the 1970’s sculptors, Ed Hamilton, William M. Duffy and artist Gloucester Caliman Coxe grouped with fellow African-American artists to form Montage, an artist collective that worked with young artists in an effort to show them how to improve and exhibit their work.

As individual African-American artists creating artwork that conveyed political messages, ethnic images and often contained provocative imagery, it was difficult to find venues willing to display their work. The montage was formed as a way for these artists to not only encourage one another to keep creating but with the intent to build a community and showcase their art as a cohesive coalition as opposed to individual artists.

The collective faced many hardships throughout the years. Many outside of the group did not understand what they were doing and thus became suspicious of them to the point where they often had to deal with the presence of police officers at their gatherings. Over the years, several members of Montage moved away to cities with more readily available opportunities. The members that stayed (including the group’s founders) did so in an effort to continue the artistic community they built in their city and to continue supporting each other as well as all up-and-coming artists in Louisville.

Original Montage Artists:

Ed Hamilton

Gloucester Caliman “G.C.” Coxe

William M. Duffy

Bill Buchannan | Eddie Davis

Sylvia Clay | Robert (Bob) Carter

David Cooper | Janice Carter

Gretchen Bradleigh | George Embers

Andrew Jackson | Janet Finger

Montage Lives! Features Artwork By:

Ed Hamilton

Gloucester Caliman “G.C.” Coxe

William M. Duffy

Bill Buchanan

David Cooper

George Embers