In a collaborative project between the Meadows Museum of Art and the college’s Archives and Special Collections, Centenary’s Legacy celebrates 200 years of preparing global citizens to live productive lives of vitality and purpose.

Arranged chronologically, archival items grouped by theme tell a variety of institutional and personal stories. In addition to highlighting campus organizations and departments, this exhibition includes moments when Centenary encountered and persevered through hardships. Throughout the exhibition, visitors are encouraged to interact with items such as reproduced publications, digitized motion pictures, and historic artifacts reinterpreted through modern technology.

Centenary’s past conflicts with its current values for human diversity in all its richly complex and multi-faceted forms. To share the stories of those historically marginalized by the institution, Centenary’s Legacy uses the school as a window into the South, placing the college’s history within the wider context of the nation and region within which it existed.

Unless otherwise noted, items are from Centenary’s Archives and Special Collections.

Thanks to the Centenary students, faculty, and staff who contributed to the creation of this exhibition. Exhibition funded in part by the Centenary Muses.

Interact with Centenary’s Legacy in the galleries

Azire Muhammad, class of 2027

Lilt can be defined as a sort of cadence or mannerism with which actions are done. It is an exploration of transformation and movement, both in narrative and space. It's a ritual of sorts that transforms and inspires transformation. This exhibition uses a deliberate curation of repeated oblong shapes, which serve as visual metaphors for the fluidity and subtle shifts that underpin the film's story.

The oblong forms—found in the sculptures and installation elements—echo the journey of the fish, which emerges from the stagnant water of a laundromat, symbolizing both change and cyclical patterns. These shapes subtly correspond with the film's themes, creating a cohesive visual language that invites the viewer to reflect on the passage of time, growth, and renewal. The repetition of these forms within the space serves as a rhythmic counterpoint to the film’s narrative flow, drawing attention to the connection between the physical world and the unfolding cinematic experience.

The interaction between these shapes and the moving image creates a dynamic environment, where space, texture, and movement are in constant dialogue, offering viewers an immersive, participatory experience that deepens their engagement with the story. The ultimate crux of this film frames the cyclic and the mundane as being extraordinary in a place that can only be described as banal in its existence–the laundromat.
 

Azire Muhammad is a contemporary visual artist, storyteller, and 2D animator whose work explores themes of identity, culture, spirituality, and social justice. Born in New Orleans, Azire’s early exposure to the arts and storytelling within her community deeply influenced her creative path. Her unique approach merges visual art with digital animation, allowing her to create dynamic works that bridge the gap between tradition and modernity. Her 2D animations, often exploring the intersection of memory and identity, invite viewers to experience these themes in motion. Azire’s installations and sculptures further engage audiences, transforming spaces into immersive experiences that encourage reflection and interaction.