Exhibitions and Programs

Permanent Exhibits

Mirrors of Hope and Dignity
A moving and powerful collection of drawings by the renowned African-American artist Charles W. White.

YMI's History in Pictures & The Urban Trail's Age of Diversity
In conjunction with the Biltmore Estate, the YMICC has installed and continues to update its permanent exhibit Highlighting the ties between the Estate's George Vanderbilt Family and the YMICC. Commissioned as a counterpart to the racially exclusive YMCA and designed by Richard Morris Hunt, the architect of the Biltmore Mansion, the 18,000 square foot facility has been an integral part in sustaining African American heritage in the region. The Photographic exhibit shows a chronology of the ties between the YMI and the Biltmore Estate and displays many of the community leaders who have helped establish the YMICC as a historical entity in the community.

Traveling Exhibits

African American History Through Stamps
African Americans have played a vital role in shaping America’s history. Now see that history unfold before your eyes with stamps representing influential African American leaders, inventors, educators, scientists, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and sports figures. The exhibit includes 39 framed enlargements of commemorative stamps from the Black Heritage series issued by the US Postal Service.

This traveling exhibit is available to area schools. For more information call YMICC at (828) 252-4614 or e-mail to ymicc1@aol.com.

For Reservations, call: (828) 252-4614

Online Exhibits

An Unmarked Trail: Stories of African Americans in Buncombe County from 1850 - 1900.
The YMICC is a repository for artifacts, documents and digitized materials that aid western North Carolinians in understanding the critical role of African Americans in the development of our mountain home. If you are interested in making a donation of an artifact, document or photograph,
please contact the YMICC (828-252-4614).

The YMICC Web site is the home base of a digitized version of a traveling exhibit An Unmarked Trail: Stories of African Americans in Buncombe County from 1850 - 1900 (click to view).

To make arrangements to have this exhibition travel to your school, contact the Center for Diversity Education at 828-254-9044.

Programs

"Mama Ruth" - Artist-in-Residence Bead Workshops
Location: On-Site - YMI Cultural Center and Outreach
Days: Wednesday and Thursday
Time: 10:30 AM -2 PM

Miss Ruth, affectionately known publicly as "Mama Ruth," uses her sense of touch, her love of beads, and her artist's soul to create distinctive beaded jewelry. She is a 63-year-old African American woman who has been totally deaf and blind since childhood. She has a successful business, "Mama Ruth's Beads" through which she sells her one-of-a-kind necklaces and earrings. Mama Ruth has taught workshops at Isaac Dickson School and at the Regional Deaf Club as well as demonstrated her craft at Camp Dogwood, the Mountain Made Gallery in the Grove Arcade, and at Liberty Corner Enterprises. She is a remarkable role model for both children and adults and the YMI is proud to host an eight-week residency with the talented artist.

Individuals of all ages and backgrounds are welcomed and we hope the community will take advantage of this extraordinary woman's talent! For more information on how to sign up for these workshops or to bring a group to participate, please contact Margaret Fuller for booking information.