WAYNE COUNTY, Ind. – The second annual Black Expo takes place Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Kuhlman Center in Richmond.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free.

This year’s theme, “Boots on the Ground,” highlights collective action, community presence, and new beginnings.

“It talks back to the resilience and perseverance of Black people in the community,” said Marlene Lindsey, founder of the Black Legacy Project. “We all have boots on the ground; this is just a festive way to celebrate that.”

Presented by the Black Legacy Project of Wayne County, the expo highlights local history, culture, and achievement while bringing residents together during Black History Month.

More than 70 vendors will participate, offering education resources, retail items, and food. Organizers say the event continues to grow as a space to honor heritage and strengthen community connections.

Image Credit to the Richmond Art Museum

WAYNE COUNTY, Ind. - 

The Richmond Art Museum is proudly hosting its newest exhibition, Connection to Freedom: Works by Mason Archie. This exhibit highlights two bodies of work by Archie that peer into American history and collective memory.

Archie’s Underground Railroad Series explores historical sites and paints a narrative of courage, resistance, and liberation from the Midwest to the East Coast. These paintings invite viewers into landscapes that once bore witness to humanity’s moral crossroads, offering both aesthetic beauty and powerful educational insight.

The second body of work, Landscapes of the City of Indianapolis, reflects Archie’s contemporary engagement with place and history. These works capture quiet, often overlooked urban scenes, preserving them for present and future generations.

The exhibition is a unique opportunity for RAM to display works that are in private and public collections across the United States. Connection to Freedom is the first time all of these paintings are on display in the same location.

Archie’s command of realism serves not merely as technical virtuosity but as a vehicle for storytelling—bridging past and present, beauty and truth. His paintings invite reflection, foster understanding, and connect viewers to histories that continue to shape our collective identity.

It is with this concept of connectedness that brings RAM to include an interactive element to the exhibit. With looms on loan from Earlham College, collective textile art pieces are being created by Richmond High School students and patrons of the museum to be hung in the galleries during the exhibit. The Richmond Art Museum encourages all of their guests to participate in creating collaborative art pieces with members of the community. 

Connection to Freedom and the interactive textile exhibition will be on display at RAM until March 28th. Everyone is invited to come and experience the incredible work on display, and participate in creating lasting community art within the museum. It’s a great opportunity and a fun activity that won’t break the bank; RAM has been admission free since 1898!