Title: “The Land of Romance: Behind the Curtains” & “The Land of Romance: Behind Closed Gates”
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
The Land of Romance: Behind Closed Gates and The Land of Romance: Behind the Curtains, respond to images used by the Norfolk and Western Railroad on the cover of 1930′s brochures to sell Virginia to tourists as “the land of romance, hospitality, and beauty.“ The woodblock prints depict a view that challenges the original, idealized version, perhaps showing a more accurate reality; research into my husband’s genealogy reveals multiple generations on both sides of his family tree that include children that were born to slave women that were fathered by slave owners. This history played a significant role in shaping America, and his family in particular, both economically and socially.
–Cape Girardeau, MO








