Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited
The Robert and Mary Ann Bury Community Gallery is a changing exhibition space made available to local historical societies, museums, non-profit organizations and educational institutions, selected for their contributions to the metro Detroit community. Organizations are featured in order to share their stories and provide new perspectives on the issues, ideas and individuals that have shaped our region’s rich history.
It was officially renamed as a tribute to retiring long-time Executive Director Bob Bury and dedicated in a ceremony on November 1, 2018.
Our Community Gallery program received the 2020 Leadership in History Award from the American Association for State and Local History! Learn more
NOW OPEN through August 27, 2023 in the Robert and Mary Ann Bury Community Gallery
Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited
Centuries-old cultural customs and beliefs about giving - though rarely acknowledged as “philanthropy” - have long guided Black communities to make transformational change in lives and communities throughout American society. Groundbreaking in focus and depth, Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited presents vivid stories of the long and unsung legacy of Black philanthropists, from generous donors of wealth to ingenious givers carving a way out of no way.
The exhibition draws evocative images and incisive narratives from the award-winning book Giving Back: A Tribute to Generations of African American Philanthropists, by Valaida Fullwood and photographer Charles W. Thomas Jr. Both the book and exhibition explore the African American philanthropy experience and giving traditions grounded in faith, mutuality, responsibility and social justice. In photography, poetry, and prose, the voices and faces included span ages and generations to illuminate transcendent truths and elicit new ways of thinking about philanthropy.
See the companion exhibition Detroit Gives Black in the Detroit Artists Showcase
