‘Promise, Witness, Remembrance’ is a Louisville exhibit aiming to honor the late Breonna Taylor after her tragic death in 2020. From April 7 through June 6, Louisville’s Speed Art Museum will showcase the exhibit to bring more awareness to Taylor’s life with the help of her family.

“This exhibition will reflect on the life of Breonna Taylor, her killing in 2020, and the year of protests that followed, in Louisville and around the world, exploring the dualities between a personal, local story and the nation’s reflection on the promise, witness, and remembrance of too many Black lives lost to gun violence,” the museum’s website explains.

Allison Glenn is the guest curator for the museum’s temporary installation. Glenn made it her duty to sit with Tamika Palmer, the mother of Breonna Taylor, the rest of the family, local activists, community members, and artists to ensure she encompassed everything Taylor embodied both before and after her life was taken.

“First, I spoke with Breonna’s mother, and asked how we might think of her daughter’s legacy, and translated that into the three ideas: promise, witness, remembrance. Then I convened a national panel,” Glenn told the NY Times.

After consulting with the family and partnering with members of the National Advisory Panel, mental health professionals, and researchers, Allison will center the exhibit around Taylor’s Vanity Fair cover.  

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Promise, witness and remembrance 

Broken into three major themes, the exhibit explores Breonna’s story and the effect it had on the world. ‘Promise’ dives deep into the founding of the United States of America and how the “promises” don’t seem to protect Black lives. ‘Witness’ reflects on the visual interpretation of local Louisville-based photographers. ‘Remembrance’ addresses the recent history of gun violence in this country, along with police brutality and the senseless killings that have come from the actions of these events. 

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A secondary exhibit, “It Could Have Been Me”, will launch May 2021. ‘It Could Have Been Me’ is an online photo exhibit that engages community members to reflect on themes that emerge from experiencing “Promise, Witness, Remembrance” says the website. You can participate by uploading a photo of yourself to be included in the online photo exhibit, along with a heartfelt message. 

If you are looking to check out this dedication to Breonna Taylor but can’t make it to Louisville, photos of the artwork are available for viewing on the Speed Art Museum website.