Photo Credit: Walker County Government
Beverly Foster is the president of the Walker County African American Historical & Alumni Association. Last year, the Walker County Commission agreed to allow a building donated to the county to be used for an African American museum.
Foster said its first exhibit would likely open in May. It will be called “Build as We Built,” an exhibit that combines art and history. It will focus on buildings erected by African Americans in Walker County. The museum will also be highlighting northwest Georgia artists of all ages and backgrounds.
Foster told the Chattanooga Times-Free Press, “They had a list, Georgia Council of the Arts, of all the artists we could pick from and everything. I said no, I wanted to see if we had some of our own local artists,” Foster said in a phone interview. “They can see what it’s like to be paid for their art and what it’s really like to be artists, so that they can actually strive to achieve.”
She said supporters are still fundraising for the museum and the park dedicated to notable African Americans from Walker County. She thinks the park will likely cost a couple hundred thousand dollars due to expenses from architectural plans and erecting monuments. The alumni association will also be hosting a T-shirt design contest for students. There are three categories: grade school, middle school and high school, with a cash prize for each.
Their $1,000 scholarship essay contest will be announced soon. It’s open only to African American students, while the T-shirt contest is open to all students.
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