The University of Baltimore RLB Library is proud to welcome a new exhibit to campus called Soul of the Butterfly. This traveling exhibit showcases the history and impact made by Chicory Magazine’s run from 1966 to 1983. Chicory served as a platform that elevated the voices of the black community in Baltimore through storytelling, poetry, and activism. Although the magazine’s original run has concluded, a group of Baltimore creatives has started The Chicory Project, which seeks to revitalize the magazine and continue to foster growth and community in the arts through workshops, installations, and classes. More about the project can be found here.
The exhibit itself gives us an in-depth retrospective on Chicory’s influence on the Baltimore community and those that helped bring the magazine to life. The banners in the exhibit highlight topics such as welfare, opportunity, displacement, dance, education, and the healing power of black art. Additionally, each banner features photography and cover art from the magazine, including images that can be found here at UB’s own Baltimore Studies Archive, which was used in the inception of this exhibit. The collection that features these images can be viewed here.
The Soul of the Butterfly exhibit will run through the end of October and can be found on the first floor of the RLB Library Building. Be sure to stop by and visit this semester!