Women of a New Tribe

Six years ago, I opened the doors on an exhibit that was both artistically and visually stunning, but also brought together our Rocky Mount community in a new way. When Women of a New Tribe opened in September 2014, we welcomed approximately 350 community members into the Imperial Centre to celebrate twelve incredible women whose lives, accomplishments, and passions have changed our community for the better. To this day, it remains one of the most important community empowering exhibition that I had the honor of being involved with.

Not only did I have the privilege to meet and get to know twelve women with influence in this community shortly after moving to Rocky Mount, but I also had the opportunity to work closely with the photographer, Jerry Taliaferro. Taliaferro currently resides in Charlotte, NC. For years, he has traveled nationally and internationally as a fine arts photographer. His project Women of a New Tribe explores and celebrates the physical and spiritual beauty of black women.

Please enjoy the following video, a production of CITY19, which includes interviews from all of our participants. Below that, you will find a gallery of images from the permanent art collection as well as other photographs taken of the experience. – Alicyn Wiedrich, Curator of the Imperial Center’s Art Galleries

Gallery

View more photography by Jerry Taliaferro in the series WOMEN OF A NEW TRIBE here.

The women asked to participate included: Angela Bryant, Julia C. Bryant, Loretta Braswell, Josie Davis, Jacqueline Deloach, Joyce Dickens, Helen Gay, Mae Parker, Edith Penny, Margarette Perkins, Louise Ricks, and Lois Watkins.