UR Downtown opens exhibition focusing on historic East End Cemetery

The University of Richmond Downtown’s Wilton Companies Gallery, located at 626 E. Broad St., is hosting a new exhibition titled, “All Our Sorrows Heal: Restoring Richmond’s East End Cemetery.”

This exhibition, featuring the words and photographs of Brian Palmer and Erin Hollaway Palmer, sheds light on the historic East End Cemetery, the African-American men and women buried there, and the family members and volunteers who are seeking to reclaim the grounds and its history. Established in 1897, East End Cemetery sits on 16 acres of overgrown land in Henrico County and the City of Richmond.

Brian Palmer, now an independent journalist, began his career at The Village Voice, served as Beijing bureau chief for US News & World Report and worked as an on-air correspondent for CNN. He has taught courses at the University of Richmond and is currently a scholar in residence at Virginia Commonwealth University. Erin Hollaway Palmer is an editor, writer and educator. She taught at the University of Richmond in the spring. Before moving to Virginia from New York, she served as managing editor of Parade magazine and National Geographic Adventure. Their documentary, Make the Ground Talk, will be released in 2016.

UR Downtown will host a TAKE 30 discussion related to this exhibition on Oct. 15 at 4:30 p.m. Brian Palmer and Erin Hollaway Palmer will lead the talk, “How Are We Reclaiming Our African American Past?” TAKE 30 is a 30-minute discussion series, led by UR professors and community leaders, to consider questions important for our region today. 

This event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the presentation.

The Wilton Companies Gallery is a public exhibition space used for visual art exhibitions that relate to the mission of UR Downtown and its programs. The exhibition will be on view through Jan. 22, 2016.

For more information, visit downtown.richmond.edu.

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