Juneteenth Family Day on June 14 Features Free Performances, Art Activities, Celebrating “Fresh Faces of Freedom”

The theme “Fresh Faces of Freedom” will be featured through family-friendly activities and performances on Juneteenth Family Day, to be celebrated on Saturday, June 14 by The Amistad Center for Art & Culture in partnership with the Wadsworth Atheneum.  Activities are offered from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. at the Atheneum.

Juneteenth acknowledges  African American freedom and achievement while it commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved Africans in Galveston, Texas, first learned of their freedom, two-and-a-half years after the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation. 

Over the years, Juneteenth commemorations across the nation have grown into broad and jubilant celebrations of achievement, community and heritage.  The weekend’s events in Hartford – signified by Family Day on June 14 and the annual Juneteenth Gala to be held the previous evening – are recognized annually as among the finest.

Admission to the Wadsworth Atheneum for the Juneteenth Family Day is free-of-charge.

Visitors can explore the art of African American artists in the collection and The Amistad Center’s traveling display, Fresh Faces of Youth.  Children will also have an opportunity to create a ‘fresh face’ of their own using kente cloth patterns, or they can pose for a picture, explore faces in art with a docent, or learn about historical figures in the abolitionist movement with performances by the Ray of Hope project.

 “We are looking forward to welcoming the community to join us in marking the observance of Juneteenth with back-to-back events - the Juneteenth Gala on Friday evening and the Juneteenth Family Day on Saturday.  It promises to be a delightful, insightful and fun-filled weekend, paying tribute to history and culture in meaningful ways,” said Amistad Center Executive Director Olivia S. White.

Up-to-date listings of Juneteenth Family Day events can be found at amistadartandculture.org.  For further information on The Amistad Center or upcoming events, call 860-838-4133 or email amistadcenter@wadsworthatheneum.org.   A free shuttle bus will run between the Wadsworth Atheneum, the Mark Twain House, the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, and ImPACT Fest in Bushnell Park.

Juneteenth Family Day is sponsored by The Hartford.  This year, it coincides with The Connecticut Office of Tourism’s 10th annual Connecticut Open House Day on Saturday, June 14th. The one-day statewide event is designed to showcase Connecticut’s diverse world of history, art, and tourism. 

For more information about The Amistad Center for Art & Culture please visit the website at www.amistadartandculture.org or call 860-838-4133. For more information about the Wadsworth Atheneum please visit www.thewadsworth.org.