The Waller Gallery features dozens of photographs, collages, and sculptures, all of which tell the story of one person. “Joan Poncela is based on my grandmother,” says Baltimore collage artist and photographer Bria Sterling Wilson. “She’s 85 now, and this exhibition is based on her and her life and her incredible story behind her.” Sterling Wilson tells her grandmother’s story through her art. The story begins with a childhood tragedy. “My grandmother had a really horrific accident when she was 5 years old,” says Sterling Wilson. “She was hit by a drunk driver and had her left leg amputated below the knee. That tragic accident led to a 13-year lawsuit against the Maryland Transportation Authority here in Baltimore, which is part of the story behind the exhibition.” The lawsuit was for employment discrimination related to her grandmother’s disability, which she won in 1988. Pages about the lawsuit line one wall of the exhibit, along with photos of her grandmother. “There’s a lot of images of family life,” Sterling Wilson says. “I definitely wanted to talk about the importance of preserving black families, portraits, and black history.” History is preserved through her photographs and artwork related to her grandmother’s disability. “I decided to take my grandmother’s prosthetic leg and make a sculpture out of it,” Sterling Wilson says. “I also used a lot of her stockings and elements from her life.” A life shaped by tragedy, disability, and resilience. One person’s story is an inspiration to many. “I hope people leave the exhibition inspired by my grandmother’s perseverance and how she overcame tragic events to live as a girl and as an adult with a disability and live a wonderful life,” she said. The exhibition will be open until July 27, Fridays and Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m. Those interested in attending can also make reservations to view the exhibition. Sterling Wilson will be giving an artist talk on July 19. She hopes her grandmother will come and see the exhibition for the first time during her talk. Click here for more information about the exhibition.
Baltimore —
The Waller Gallery features dozens of photographs, collages and sculptures, all of which tell the story of one person.
“Joan Poncela is my grandmother,” said Bria Sterling Wilson, a collage artist and photographer in Baltimore. “She’s 85 now, and this show is based on her and her life and the incredible story behind her.”
Sterling Wilson tells his grandmother’s story through his art, and it begins with a childhood tragedy.
“My grandmother was in a really tragic accident when she was 5 years old,” Sterling Wilson said. “She was hit by a drunk driver and had her left leg amputated below the knee. That tragic accident led her into a 13-year lawsuit with the Maryland Transportation Authority here in Baltimore, which is one of the stories behind the show.”
The lawsuit was against her grandmother for employment discrimination related to her disability, and she won in 1988. Pages from the case line one wall of the exhibit, along with photos of her grandmother.
“There are a lot of images of family life,” Sterling Wilson said, “and we wanted to convey not only the portraits but also the importance of preserving black families and black history.”
That history is preserved through photographs and artwork related to my grandmother’s disability.
“I decided to make a sculpture using my grandmother’s prosthetic leg,” Sterling Wilson says, “and also using her stockings and a lot of elements from her life.”
It is a life shaped by tragedy, obstacles and resilience, and it is the story of one man who can serve as an inspiration to many.
“I hope that children will go away inspired by my grandmother’s perseverance and how she overcame something so tragic as a girl and then as an adult with a disability and continued to move forward with her life and not let that stop her and live such a beautiful life,” she said.
The exhibition will be open from 1pm to 5pm on Fridays and Saturdays until July 27th. If you would like to attend, you can also book a tour of the exhibition.
Sterling Wilson will be giving an artist talk on July 19. She hopes her grandmother will stop by during the talk to see the exhibit for the first time.
For more information about the exhibit, click here.