In 2017-2018, William & Mary commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the first African American students in residence — Lynn Briley, Janet Brown, and Karen Ely (Class of 1971) — with a year-long series of special events, guest speakers, and performances.
The artwork Lemonade: A Picture of America was created by visiting artist Steve Prince and participants in the Summer 2017 “Workshop on Black Expressive Culture” Africana Studies 307 / Art 330 course to commemorate the history of African Americans at William & Mary. It consists of three elements: painting, woodcuts, and bronze masks. This online exhibit shows the process of creating the artwork as well as the symbolism behind elements within the piece.
This artwork was commissioned by the 50th Anniversary of African Americans in Residence Committee and is on permanent display in Swem Library as part of the President's Collection of Art.