From Alpha to Creation: Religion in the Deep South

For the first time as affiliated institutions, the North Carolina Museum of Art and the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art present a shared exhibition between both spaces, bringing awareness of global artists to audiences across our state. 

Examining place and theology from North Carolina to eastern Texas, From Alpha to Creation: Religion in the Deep South incorporates photography, video, and sculpture to survey various iconography and rituals throughout our landscape.​

The exhibition explores the ideological relationships among various belief systems, highlighting the blending of spiritual practices throughout our daily lives.It is distinguished from antiquated or heavily stereotyped studies of Southern culture that often disregard our complexities. It instead focuses on the spiritual innovations that allow many of us to maintain a dedicated relationship with our religious heritages, from Abrahamic denominations to composite belief systems like Hoodoo. For many artists throughout the exhibition—who originated or worked extensively in the region—the South represents a unique context for religious expression reflected by our racial, political, and economic structures.

Includes works by Alec Soth, Allison Janae Hamilton, Ambrose Murray, Baseera Khan, Bill Aron, Brandon Thibodeaux, Bill Aron, Burk Uzzle, Charles Edward Williams, Debbie Fleming Caffery, Deborah Luster, Earlie Hudnall Jr., Heather Baebii Lee, Jamal Cyrus, Jeffrey Gibson, Keni Anwar, Linda Foard Roberts, Logan Lynette Burroughs, Margaret Sartor, Ralph Burns, and Titus Brooks Heagins.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website