In the Writing: Personal Letters of African American Leaders from the Mark E. Mitchell Collection

"In the Writing: Personal Letters of African American Leaders from the Mark E. Mitchell Collection" was a pop-up exhibit curated by Wilkins. The exhibit displayed rare authentic letters from Malcolm X writing to Alex Haley, Frederick Douglass writing to Senator Blanche Kelso Bruce, and George Washington Carver writing to Henry Ford. 

"In the Writing" presented the personal stories of these historical figures and revealed their interconnectedness, conveying that their "revolutions" were catalyzed not in solitude but in collaboration. 

During the one-day event in the Teaching and Visualization Lab, Wilkins displayed the original letters using 270 degrees of projection as a medium to enhance the tangible items, creating a digitally immersive experience. Wilkins also presented to guests about the curatorial process and the blurred lines between curating and narrating a story.

The Mark E. Mitchell Collection is the largest private collection of African American artifacts and memorabilia. Items include manuscripts, documents, newspapers, books, photographs, and artifacts, dating from the early 1600s through the present.

Tools Used

• PowerPoint
• Adobe Illustrator