Students, faculty, and community members gathered for an artist talk centered around the exhibit ‘What We Do, We’ve Always Done’. This event offered attendees a deeper look into the exhibition and the stories behind it, transforming the gallery experience into a space for conversation, reflection, and learning. Through a combination of paintings, photography, and videos, artist Bria Edwards’ work highlights generations of Black cowboy culture, emphasizing themes of joy, resilience, and community.
Led by Edwards herself, the talk explored the inspiration and research that shaped the exhibition, which focuses on the often-overlooked legacy of Black cowboy culture in Maryland and the surrounding region. Her work challenges traditional narratives of the American cowboy, expanding them to include voices and histories that have long gone unrecognized, especially within the Black community.
The event, which took place on March 19th in the 4th Floor Programming Room, featured a broader conversation which included curator Lauren Davidson, as well as two Black riders, Shortdawg King and Ray Lockamy, who are part of the very community that Edwards documents. Their presence added depth to the discussion, offering firsthand perspectives that reinforced the authenticity and lived experience behind the work.
During the talk, Edwards walked attendees through her creative journey, describing how the project began with an exploration of leisure in Black communities, before evolving into a deeper engagement with horse-riding culture.
“It’s been a long… maybe two years, one year of painting and one year of just being present and interviewing and talking to and just being a part of the culture,” Edwards explained, emphasizing the time and care behind the work.
After immersing herself in the community, Edwards began documenting riders through photography, later transforming select images into richly textured paintings.
She emphasized her documentary-style approach, often acting as a ‘fly on the wall’ to authentically capture moments rather than staging them.
Edwards also spoke on the difference between English and Western riding styles, noting how the latter felt more expressive, communal, and reflective of the energy she sought to capture.
“I like to think of it more as an anthropological kind of documentation style… really capturing the culture, the people,” Edwards said. When a member of the riding community described the culture with the phrase, ‘What we do, we’ve always done,’ this inspired Edwards to make this the title of the exhibition.
The event not only provided insight into Edwards’ artistic process, but also encouraged attendees to engage more deeply with the cultural and historical significance of the work.
Students reflected on how talks like this enhance their experience of campus exhibitions.
“I’m so glad our school hosts talks like this that go hand in hand with the exhibit because they give a deeper look into the work we see in the gallery,” said Riley Roder ‘26.
Ava Royer ‘28, a gallery assistant at the Julio Fine Arts Gallery, also reflected on the impact of the exhibition, saying, “I learned so much about Black history through this work, and I really enjoyed being able to experience and understand it in a new way.”
