Artist Bria Edwards has debuted a solo exhibition titled "What We Do, We've Always Done" at the Julio Fine Arts Gallery at Loyola University Maryland. The multidisciplinary showcase features oil paintings, photography, and video work resulting from two years of fieldwork and interviews with Black equestrians across Maryland. Curated by Lauren Davidson of Museum Nectar Art Consultancy, the exhibition explores the historical and contemporary presence of Black horse riders, moving from the era of enslavement to modern-day leisure and competitive spaces.
This exhibition is significant for its reclamation of American equestrian history, which has frequently marginalized or erased the contributions of Black riders. By centering themes of joy, agency, and ancestral connection to the land, Edwards challenges narrow narratives of Black identity often defined solely by oppression. The project also serves as an academic model for institutional collaboration, as the artist worked with Loyola’s documentary production students to archive the creative process and the oral histories that informed the artworks.