Fall Fellow at The Annex — Marcus Morris

The Annex, an art initiative of The Gund at Kenyon College, is thrilled to announce Columbus-based artist Marcus Morris as our inaugural Fall Fellow at The Annex. This marks an exciting moment in The Gund’s ongoing commitment to supporting artists at various stages of their careers and who are fostering new ways of engaging with our community. For his fellowship, Morris has developed a new project titled Marian Anderson: Contralto Immortal, a multimedia performance that connects the history of Black performance in Knox County with the contemporary moment.

Marian Anderson was an African-American world-renowned contralto who became a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement after being denied the opportunity to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Thanks to the support of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Anderson delivered an iconic concert at the Lincoln Memorial in April 1939, performing before 75,000 people. Just one month later, Anderson returned to Knox County, Ohio, for a performance at the Knox Memorial Theater, a venue where she had also appeared in 1930 at the invitation of the Booker T. Washington Club. Morris’s installation is a "ghost performance" of her 1939 concert, an homage to both the essence of Anderson’s presence and the rich history of Blackness in Mount Vernon. It is also a tribute to the role of theaters in Knox County, acting as a space that holds and reflects cultural and historical narratives across generations. As Morris explains, "A ghost is a trace or an essence of a life." Inspired by Kenyon Professor Emeritus of History Ric Sheffield’s research about Marian Anderson’s Ohio performances, Morris explores her legacy through image and song, keeping conversations about our complex histories alive.

On October 30, viewers are invited to visit the Knox Memorial Theater, where images and video of Anderson will be projected on the stage, and the space will be filled with her voice. This performance-as-installation draws from Anderson’s Lincoln Memorial setlist presented in 1939 and her supplemental music. The viewer is welcome to experience Morris’s exploration of presence and sound as he disjoints her image from her music. The theater, too, becomes a silent performer, holding the history of this significant moment.

This installation reflects on the essential role of Black performance in liberation. By reimagining Marian Anderson’s 1939 performance, we acknowledge her absence and celebrate the Black women in Knox County who made it possible for her to grace the stage 85 years ago. This project is Morris’s offering to the community that welcomed Anderson, provided for her when she was refused lodging in local hotels, and ensured that her legacy became part of our shared history.

This fellowship is made possible with the Mount Vernon Arts Consortium's support and stewardship of the historic Knox Memorial Theater.