TESTIFY Exhibit Returns to Hennepin County Library
- January 12, 2023
The groundbreaking TESTIFY exhibit returns to Hennepin County Library - Minneapolis Central on February 1, 2023. Located in the skyway-level Cargill Gallery, the exhibit will be on display through March 29 accompanied by a series of in-person and online programs and events.
Building on the success of the original exhibit in 2018, former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and NFL Hall of Famer Alan Page and his daughter Georgi, the director of the Diane and Alan Page Collection, are again presenting their exhibit of Americana from slavery to today – with renewed calls to action.
“Our hope, in creating the exhibit, was that by shining a light on our country’s past we could learn to better understand the racial divide of the present,” said Justice Page. “At the same time, we hoped to illuminate a path to a brighter future, highlighting the strength, persistence, and resilience of the African American community."
Selections from the family’s extraordinary collection of African American art and artifacts will be on display at the Cargill Gallery accompanied by TESTIFY Tuesday workshops and mainstage programming designed to help bridge divides, deepen dialogue, and encourage action on justice.
"Hennepin County Library, at its core, is a place for learning and conversation,” said Hennepin County Board Chair Irene Fernando. “TESTIFY is more than just exploring our history, it’s an invitation to share our stories. I’m thrilled that our residents will have another opportunity to learn from one another - seeking healing, understanding, and connection.”
The public is invited to an opening viewing and reception, sponsored by Friends of the Hennepin County Library, on Wednesday, February 1, from 6-8 p.m., at Minneapolis Central Library.
In conjunction with the TESTIFY exhibit at Cargill Gallery, TESTIFY Tuesday workshops guide participants through exercises that will help them create personal narratives and testimonials to advocate for social change. Produced by the Diane and Alan Page Collection and facilitated by Change Narrative LLC, the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota and The Loft Literary Center, themes will be offered each week in collaboration with local social justice organizations to connect participants to meaningful advocacy opportunities.
TESTIFY events and programs
February 1: TESTIFY Opening Reception
February 7: TESTIFY Tuesdays – Voting Rights
February 14: TESTIFY Tuesdays – Immigration and Criminal Justice
February 21: TESTIFY Tuesdays – Civil Rights
February 28: TESTIFY Tuesdays – Racial Justice
March 2: TESTIFY Talk – Race, Justice & the Economy
March 7: TESTIFY Tuesdays – Healthcare
March 14: TESTIFY Tuesdays – Police Reform
March 21: TESTIFY Tuesdays - Environmental Justice
March 28: TESTIFY Tuesdays – Housing and Economic Justice
March 30: TESTIFY Storytelling Slam
The Diane and Alan Page Collection
The Diane and Alan Page Collection is a selection of art and artifacts that paints a portrait of race relations and representation in the 19th through 21st centuries. Gathered by Diane and Alan Page over decades of civic engagement and very personal work in their community, the collection reflects their belief that even as we face the most painful aspects of our past so that they will not be repeated, we must also find bright moments of transcendence that point another way forward.