Our Mighty Dream: Southern Vernacular Art from the Collection of Jan R. Barrett and Paul Barrett, Jr. – January 23 – July 11, 2027

Our Mighty Dream: Southern Vernacular Art celebrates the extraordinary creativity of self-taught and vernacular artists across the American South. Drawn entirely from the collection of mother-and-son collectors Jan Barrett and Paul Barrett, Jr., the exhibition brings together more than forty artists whose work reflects the region’s rich cultural traditions, inventive use of materials, and deeply personal visions.

Featuring paintings, quilts, sculptures, ceramics, assemblages, and photographs by artists from across the American South, the exhibition explores three interconnected themes: inherited traditions, the transformation of everyday materials, and visionary environments. Visitors will encounter the celebrated quilts of Gee’s Bend artists alongside assemblages by Thornton Dial, sculptures by Joe Minter and Charlie Lucas, paintings by Purvis Young, works by Howard Finster and Eddie Owens Martin (St. EOM), and many others who have helped shape Southern vernacular art.

Rooted in community, faith, memory, and place, these artists transformed familiar materials and inherited traditions into powerful works of art that speak to resilience, imagination, and lived experience. Together, their work reveals the remarkable diversity of artistic expression found throughout the American South and invites visitors to reconsider how creativity flourishes beyond traditional artistic conventions.

Organized by the Huntsville Museum of Art