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Freedom: A Fable Original paper designs: laser-cut black paper silhouettes, folded as pop-up elements

Freedom: A Fable. A Curious Interpretation of the Wit of a Negress in Troubled Times

Book with original paper designs: laser-cut black paper silhouettes, folded as pop-up elements; letterpress text, 1997

Gift of David W. Steadman in honor of the Peter Norton Family, 2003.33. ©2021 Kara Walker 

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2003.33 (Kara Walker)

Kara Walker (American, born 1969), Freedom: A Fable. A Curious Interpretation of the Wit of a Negress in Troubled Times, 1997, Book with original paper designs: laser-cut black paper silhouettes, folded as pop-up elements; letterpress text, Book (closed): 9 7/16 x 8 3/8 x 7/8 in. (23.9 x 21.3 x 2.3 cm), Toledo Museum of Art (Toledo, Ohio), Gift of David W. Steadman in honor of the Peter Norton Family, 2003.33. ©2021 Kara Walker


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About TBAC

The Toledo Black Artist Coalition’s mission is centered around creating avenues of artistic agency through advocacy, education, and activism. Throughout history, the African American perspective in the arts has been omitted, leaving a void within many mainstream cultural institutions. In reality, Toledo, Ohio has a rich legacy of African American artists who formed collectives to provide resources and education within the greater community. The Toledo Black Artists Coalition is a new wave formed within the context of the current national and international movement to heal a nation traumatized by the effects of white supremacy embedded within every facet of society. It is our ongoing goal to create pathways for artists of color and combat racial inequality as it continues to manifest within and in relation to Toledo institutions of culture.

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About TMA

Since its founding in 1901, the Toledo Museum of Art has earned a global reputation for the quality of our collection, our innovative and extensive education programs, and our architecturally significant campus. Thanks to the benevolence of its founders, as well as the continued support of its members, TMA remains a privately endowed, non-profit institution and opens its collection to the public, free of charge. Our mission is to integrate art into the lives of people, and we are accountable to ourselves and to our community that each action TMA takes reflects our four core values of Diversity, Community, Innovation, and Trust.