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

Centenary Art and English Students

An ekphrastic poem is a poem that responds to a piece of art. The word ekphrasis comes from the word description in Greek. Thus, ekphrastic poems often include vivid descriptions of visual artwork.  This exhibition includes two layers of response: original student artworks inspired student-written poems, which then informed the selection of artworks from the Meadows Museum’s permanent collection.

In Intro to Studio Art with Dr. Kyra Rietveld, students practice a variety of mediums and techniques. Four final artworks were selected for English students to use as inspiration in an ekphrastic poetry assignment.

In Creative Writing: Poetry with Dr. Chrissy Martin, students used narrative tools including description, ventriloquism, interrogation, and metaphor to respond to and interpret the artworks. Sixteen of their poems were shared with art history students.

In American Icons & Visual Culture with Dr. Kyra Rietveld, students were assigned poems with which to connect an artwork from the Meadows permanent collection. In addition to visually analyzing their pieces, students connected themes in the work to the course’s subject matter of American art and society.

Riana Seidenberg, class of 2025

This exhibition explores the contradictions of young adulthood, ages 18-29. To many experiencing it, this age feels like the in-between of the safety net of childhood and the finality of adulthood. It is a time of increasing responsibility, independence, and uncertainty. The artworks show both the hardships of young adulthood through depictions of mourning, longing, and stagnation, as well as shows the triumphs of relationships, exploration, and self-idealization.

Ethan Davis, class of 2025

Animation has long been a powerful cultural staple in Western media, shaping childhoods, inspiring artists, and pushing the boundaries of storytelling. Yet, in today’s American entertainment industry, corporate practices increasingly threaten its artistic integrity. Stories are unnecessarily censored, traditional animation is replaced by cheaper alternatives, and passionate creators struggle against network executive decisions that prioritize marketability over creativity.

My work explores the impact of these industry shifts, using familiar animated characters and concepts to reflect on what is being lost. Through expressive, colorful, and dynamic illustrations, I reimagine beloved cartoons in new scenarios - some playful, some unsettling - to highlight the contrast between artistic vision and corporate control.

By showcasing both nostalgia and reinvention, I invite viewers to consider what animation means to them and what is at stake if its integrity continues to be compromised. Animation is more than just entertainment; it is an art form worth preserving.

Tamia Alexander, class of 2025

This exhibition transforms sneakers into vibrant works of art, showcasing how footwear can tell personal stories and reflect individual experiences. Each Design is unique, offering a glimpse into the creative process.

Step Into Art features four distinct shoe designs that illustrate childhood, symbolize unity and strength, reveal the many sides of our identities, and capture life’s twists and turns.

This exhibition invites viewers to appreciate the artistic potential of everyday objects, encouraging them to see sneakers not just as footwear but as a form of creative expression.