The resilience, faith and purity of African American hymns come to life at the Historic Ward Rooming House with “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” Presented by the Hampton Art Lovers, the exhibit debuted on Friday with artwork by Tasanee Durrett and Solomon Adufah, alongside photography by Greg Clark. Inspired by the beloved gospel hymn written by Thomas A. Dorsey, the exhibition invites viewers into a space of healing, vulnerability and divine guidance.
This hymn, written in 1932 by Dorsey following the passing of his wife and son, quickly became a form of spiritual guidance throughout the Civil Rights Movement. Its words, “Precious Lord, take my hand / Lead me on, let me stand,” inspired influential leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. King would often invite singer Mahalia Jackson to perform the hymn at civil rights events to inspire and encourage the movement to continue in its resistance. It was later sung at King’s funeral.
Those same lyrics resonate throughout the Historic Ward Rooming House, as the exhibit’s brushstrokes, textures and soul carry a legacy of strength in the face of adversity.
Artwork outside the Historic Ward Rooming House greets attendees to the exhibit.
(Faith Francois for The Miami Times)
A house with history
The Historic Ward Rooming House, built in 1925 by Shaddrack and Victoria Ward and located in the heart of Overtown, once served as a boarding house for Black and Native American travelers during the Jim Crow era. Due to segregation, many Black and Native American travelers were denied accommodations at Miami’s white-only hotels. This house not only offered minorities safety but also a rare sense of belonging.
Overtown was known at the time as “Colored Town,” and despite the many alliances set up against it, the neighborhood continued to flourish in arts, music and Black culture.
Now under the direction of Hampton Art Lovers and the Black Archives History and Research Foundation, the house serves as an art gallery and cultural hub. With rotating exhibitions, it honors the community’s ever-growing arts scene, inspiring community gathering and enlightenment.
Artwork titled “A Beautiful Mess Is Different Than A Mess That Is Beautiful” was made by Tasanee Durett using acrylic and salt on canvas.
(Faith Francois for The Miami Times)
Behind the Hampton Art Lovers
Chris Norwood began Hampton Art Lovers in 2017. He became interested in the arts during his childhood; growing up in church and being submerged in choir singing quickly led him to adopt a love for gospel hymns. He also appreciated visual arts, collecting posters that he found appealing.
However, his love for the arts took flight at Hampton University when he attended a University 101 class during his freshman year. The class laid down the groundwork for all new students, including lessons about the Hampton University Museum in Virginia, which is one of the oldest African American museums in the United States.
The Hampton University Art Museum is home to many historic African American paintings, including works by John T. Biggers, William H. Johnson and Elizabeth Catlett, and “The Banjo Lesson” by Henry Ossawa Tanner, which served as the bedrock of the collection.
Artwork titled “Sunday Best (Adwoa and Sandra)” by Solomon Adufah captures members of the congregation as they depart from church.
(Faith Francois for The Miami Times)
As Norwood grew into adulthood, his perception and appreciation of art and art history deepened. He wanted to create an organization founded on promoting African American art.
“When you look at a painting, it’s very important to be observant, it’s very important to see what the artist is trying to project, and to digest that,” said Norwood. “Your ability to consume culture and sometimes consume it quickly helps you in your professional life.”
Chris Norwood, art curator and founder of Hampton Art Lovers.
(Courtesy of Hampton Art Lovers)
Norwood founded Hampton Art Lovers with two of his friends from Hampton University. The group finds new artists through social media and art fairs. At these fairs, the group typically presents seven to 10 new artists alongside a historic collection.
“We want to show people the history of African American art and then show them the artists that we believe are in the best tradition of that legacy,” said Norwood.
Many of the showcased artists turn into members who display work at the organization’s rotating exhibits. One such artist continuing this tradition is Durrett, whose work embodies the spiritual essence that Norwood and Hampton Art Lovers strive to spotlight.
Healing through texture
Durrett is an abstract figurative visual artist whose work often speaks to the highs and lows of the Black human experience. She first began painting while living through an eight-year abusive relationship.
“That helped me release,” said Durrett. “And as I was releasing, I started learning more about myself and the improvements that I needed to make by looking introspectively.”
Tasanee Durrett.
(Orlando.gov)
Now free from that relationship, Durrett uses her work to explore themes of wellness, nature, mental health and structural design, bridging personal healing and community empowerment. In her piece titled “The Salt is Sweeter Than The Sugar Is Salty,” featured at the Historic Ward Rooming House, Durrett incorporates acrylics and even salt on canvas. She takes inspiration from Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Salt Eaters,” a book that delves into the many interpretations of salt. Durrett understands it to be a healer and a preservative, which made the inclusion of salt in her artwork both symbolic and spiritual. Now, her work encourages others who may be facing life’s struggles.
The Historic Ward Rooming Museum unveils its newest exhibition, featuring both artists and photographers.
(Faith Francois for The Miami Times)
“I use my work to empower and to remind us that we have to pour into ourselves in order to collectively pour into each other,” said Durrett.
While Durrett’s work invites viewers to look inward, Adufah’s paintings turn that introspection outward, capturing communal joy, pride and spiritual energy.
Illustrating Sunday spirit
Artworks by Solomon Adufah adorned the walls of the exhibit’s premiere.
(Faith Francois for The Miami Times)
Adufah is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores themes of identity and cultural exchange. With roots in Ghana, his artworks blend traditional themes with vibrant color palettes, patterns and textures.
Adufah’s series titled “Sunday Funday,” featured at the “Precious Lord” exhibit, depicts members of the congregation, young and old, as they take those first steps out of the church. The portraits showcase members wearing their Sunday best, leaving service feeling like they’re leaving with the spirit. Sundays are seen as guidance for the week; the sermon should echo in everything they do from the moment they leave church. The depth of this emotion is captured in Adufah’s unique illustrations, each canvas radiating a sense of belonging and Black joy, reminding viewers that celebration, too, can be sacred.
Original photography taken by Greg Clark showcases musicians in places where they had once played.
(Faith Francois for The Miami Times)
While Durrett and Adufah interpret the spiritual experience through paint, photographer Greg Clark captures memory through the lens, focusing on Overtown’s musical past.
Solomon Adufah.
(Instagram@solomonadufah)
Reviving Overtown’s sound
Greg Clark, a longtime Overtown-based photographer, contributed a photo series titled “I Played Here,” which pays tribute to the neighborhood’s musical golden age. The series features portraits of legendary musicians and performers taken at the very venues where they once played. Through his lens, Clark aims to restore Overtown’s rightful place as a cultural mecca, hoping to bring music and memory back into conversation.
The importance of preservation
Signs greet exhibit goers inside.
(Faith Francois for The Miami Times)
This exhibit is part of a commitment to keeping Black Miami’s creative roots alive. For visitors, the importance of preserving this history was clear.
Carl Anthony has been a routine visitor of the Historic Ward Rooming House for over four years, seeing many exhibitions of Black artists come and go. Anthony sees the importance of preserving Miami’s artists and takes pride in witnessing their debuts.
“It’s a sense of pride in seeing Black art hanging on a wall that historically we never saw,” said Anthony.
A constantly changing art exhibit has not only given Black artists an opportunity to highlight their works, but also the community a chance at enlightenment and education.
“Having museums that tell our story and tell it correctly is important to future generations,” said Anthony.
The “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” exhibit will remain open through November. After this, the Hampton Art Lovers group plans to showcase an exhibit centering Frederick Douglass, highlighting his impacts on art and photography.
