Summer continues to shine at Brookgreen Gardens. This August, visitors can explore two new exhibitions including a multi-sensory art journey featuring the work of a local Charleston artist and a powerful fiber art exhibit honoring African water spirits and mermaids.
Celebrating Black Mermaids: From Africa to America
August 16 – September 28
This powerful exhibition features mixed-media fiber works by acclaimed artists from across the U.S., honoring African water spirits and goddesses as mermaids. Drawing on traditions from West Africa to the Americas, the show explores the enduring presence of Black mermaids in folklore, spirituality, and cultural memory. Each artwork tells a story—blending history, myth, and imagination to celebrate ancestral strength and creativity.
The fiber art in Celebrating Black Mermaids functions as modern-day griot—visual storytelling rich in symbolism and emotion. Each piece becomes a vessel for ancestral memory, weaving together threads of identity, survival, reverence, and transformation.
Art Journey to Inner Peace
August 16 – September 28
This multi-sensory exhibition features mixed media paintings, collages and poetry by Charleston-based artist, author, and wellness facilitator Christine D. Johnson. Inspired by her Jamaican roots and a lifelong commitment to mental wellness, this immersive experience guides visitors through five transformative phases—Shedding, Courage, Strength, Balance, and Arrival – each serving as a visual and emotional milestone toward healing and joy.
-Submitted by Brookgreen Gardens