FROM MEMORY TO MOVEMENT: ART, HISTORY, AND HEALING ON JUNETEENTH

Wooden quilts by Jean-Marcel St. Jacques will be part of a fundraising auction by Blacks in Green (BIG) on Juneteenth.

On Friday, June 19, 2026, the Woodlawn & South Lakefront Tourism Center in Chicago's Obama Presidential District will host a special Juneteenth Wine, Cheese & Storytelling Fundraiser celebrating history, resilience, and the transformative power of art.



The evening will feature the unveiling of three new works by renowned New Orleans artist Jean-Marcel St. Jacques, inspired by reclaimed wood from the historic Emmett Till family home in Chicago's West Woodlawn neighborhood. The home is being preserved and developed as the future Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley House Museum by Blacks in Green. 

St. Jacques, whose acclaimed sculpture A Wooden Quilt for Big Mama was acquired by The Henry Ford Museum in 2023, has created a series that honors the legacy of Emmett Till, Mamie Till-Mobley, and the generations who transformed personal tragedy into a movement for justice. Two of the works will be sold during a silent auction that evening.

The program will include storytelling by members of the Till family and reflections on the continuing journey from the Great Migration to the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. Two companion artworks will be offered during a silent auction, with proceeds supporting preservation and educational initiatives connected to the Till family legacy.

This Juneteenth gathering invites the community to celebrate memory, culture, and the enduring pursuit of freedom.

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