Kristine De Abreu explores the legacy of abolitionist, smuggler and civil rights powerhouse Harriet Tubman, whose life and contribution to United States history are on display at the Gibbes Museum of Art.

Sculptures, paintings, and mixed-media works from artists across generations converge to depict a transformative moment in American history—a moment defined by courage, strategy, and an unyielding pursuit of freedom. From May 23 to October 5, the Gibbes Museum of Art presents Picturing Freedom: Harriet Tubman and the Combahee River Raid, an exhibition celebrating the heroism and legacy of Harriet Tubman and her leadership in the largest slave rebellion in United States history.

“This exhibition reveals her emotional depth”

Inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black and her groundbreaking work Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War, this exhibition explores the daring 1863 military mission that liberated more than 700 enslaved individuals from plantations along South Carolina’s Combahee River. In a bold and meticulously orchestrated six-hour raid, Tubman shattered barriers—not only freeing hundreds but also rewriting the narrative of Black resistance during the Civil War. The Combahee River Raid, in its scale and success, surpassed most operations conducted through the Underground Railroad.

Curated by Dr. Vanessa Thaxton-Ward, Director of the Hampton University Museum—the oldest African American museum in the country—the exhibition offers a deeply human portrait of Tubman. “We aim to show that Tubman was a whole person,” says Thaxton-Ward. “She was more than the conductor of the Underground Railroad. She was a wife, a mother, a daughter. This exhibition reveals her emotional depth, her familial bonds, and her resilience.”

Stern. Defiant. Determined. Triumphant.

Born Araminta Ross in 1822 in a small cabin on a plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman’s early life was marked by a suffocating darkness, endless hardship and brutality. Enslaved by Anthony Thompson, she endured unspeakable violence from a young age—assigned as a nanny at just six years old, beaten for even the slightest misstep. Her body bore the scars of this cruelty, and a traumatic head injury nearly took her life. Yet even in her suffering, she found ways to resist—wearing extra layers of clothing to soften the whip’s blows, and turning to faith to find meaning and strength.

Although her father was freed in 1840 through a technicality in his owner’s will, Tubman and her mother remained enslaved due to legal loopholes that allowed emancipation only after the age of 45. These arbitrary constraints only deepened Tubman’s resolve. In her late twenties, after marrying a free Black man whose status did not extend to her, she made a courageous decision: she escaped. Famously singing to another slave, “I’m bound for the promised land,” she used the Underground Railroad to find refuge in Philadelphia. All the while, she used the North Star as her guiding light, beacon of hope and symbol of her bright future ahead. 

Okefenokee Swamp and mine sites

Those in Philadelphia sheltered and hid her from authorities. However, before she was to begin a new life, Congress called for the capture and return of runaway slaves. This inspired her to help her family members in Dorchester escape, including her husband who had married another woman in her absence. Over time, she became a regular smuggler on the Underground Railroad. During the Civil War, she worked for the Union Army as a spy, scout and nurse. 

Despite her legacy and sacrifice, Tubman was still an overlooked figure in American history for many years. She did not receive recognition, assistance or pay for her years of service. This exhibition seeks to pay her the honor she deserves. 

What can we expect from the exhibition?

Picturing Freedom not only showcases paintings, sculptures, sketches, and archival photography capturing Tubman’s strength and leadership—it also features an array of striking modern images by photographer J. Henry Fair. His wildlife and landscape photography explores the unforgiving terrain of South Carolina: dense swamps, marshlands, sprawling coastal plains, winding river systems, and shadowy forests. These contemporary visuals underscore the perils faced by Tubman and the hundreds she helped liberate—long after their first steps to freedom. Artists also included in this lineup are Jacob Lawrence, an esteemed African American painter best known capturing historical black figures in his “dynamic cubism” style, mixed media artist Faith Ringgold and others. 

CEO of the Gibbes Museum of Art, Angela Mack says “as an art museum we immediately recognized the importance of placing a visual history around this historic milestone ‒ to tell this story through art. This is an epic American story with a national legacy and universal impact.” 

Tickets can be found online for just $12 for adults. The exhibition is held in galleries 8 and 9. 

https://www.gibbesmuseum.org/