Virtual Program: Affrilachian Freedom Dreaming: Honoring Dr. Ancella Bickley

In honor of Women’s History Month, on March 28, West Virginia University Libraries’ Art in the Libraries will host the first Feminist Activist Artist in Residence Catron Booker for a virtual presentation and viewing of her forthcoming project, “Affrilachian Freedom Dreaming: Honoring Dr. Ancella Bickley.” Booker’s project, a short film that explores Black resistance through the Dr. Ancella Bickley archives of the West Virginia & Regional History Center’s (WVRHC) West Virginia Feminist Activist Collection (FAC), will be the result of the inaugural West Virginia Feminist Activist Collection Artist in Residency (FAIR) program. As a Black feminist experimental filmmaker and performance artist, Booker incorporates Afrofuturism to envision Black liberation. “The Art in the Libraries committee and the West Virginia & Regional History Center were honored to receive over 50 outstanding submissions for the inaugural Feminist Activist Artist in Residence program,” Art in the Libraries Curator Sally Brown said. “It was a privilege to select Catron Booker, whose Affrilachian perspective and deeply thoughtful feminist approach align powerfully with the mission of this residency. We are thrilled to support this groundbreaking project and look forward to the powerful dialogue it will spark around the Feminist Activist Collection.” As the culmination of the week-long collaborative pilot residency program, Booker will discuss her experience as the first FAIR resident, her process and inspiration for exploring the Dr. Ancella Bickley archives and her resulting artistic product to be created during her residency at the virtual event. Open to students, faculty, staff and the public, all those interested must  RSVP to receive zoom information to join us on Friday, March 28 at 10 a.m.      

Catron Booker.

A short experimental film, Booker’s project intends to honor Bickley’s legacy. A Huntington, W.Va. native born in 1930, Bickley is a historian, educator and author known for preserving and documenting the history of Black communities in West Virginia. Her work emphasized oral histories, genealogy and the contributions of overlooked Black scholars and activists. Inspired by Bickley’s focus on overlooked “community builders,” Booker will interweave archival materials with footage of the Ohio River, a historically significant landmark in Louisville. The project will examine the river as both a visual metaphor and a site of historical continuity. As part of the residency, Booker’s virtual film screening and community discussion will engage conversation on Bickley’s impact and legacy. Booker was selected as the 2025 resident for the inaugural FAIR program by the WVU Art in the Libraries Committee in collaboration with WVRHC archivists. For more information about Art in the Libraries or FAIR, visit  exhibits.lib.wvu.edu. To register for the virtual event, visit  wvu.libcal.com/calendar/events/FAIR. About the West Virginia Feminist Activist Collection Artist in Residency  The  Art in the Libraries program and the  West Virginia & Regional History Center (WVRHC) at  WVU Libraries launched the inaugural  West Virginia Feminist Activist Collection Artist in Residency (FAIR) to expand the connections between the WVRHC’s  West Virginia Feminist Activist Collection (FAC) and the public. This collaborative pilot residency program aims to expand the use of and build upon the archival collection by offering awards to support projects that use the collection in new and creative ways. FAIR supports artists in the creation of artistic works, small exhibitions, publications or other creations that imaginatively study, experiment with and/or build upon the collection materials.   -WVU Libraries-   MEDIA CONTACT: Ellis Willard Director of Public Relations & Events WVU Libraries 304-293-0306;  ellis.willard@mail.wvu.edu

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