Black women express 'Grace' through church hats in Minneapolis museum show

The second-ever art exhibition at the recently opened Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery is a visual journey through African-American women's church hats, which have deep spiritual and cultural significance for the community. The tradition dates back to slave times. Black women forced to work in domestic settings ditched their uniforms and donned beautifully decorative hats as they headed to church on Sundays. In Walter Griffin's dazzling portrait photography, smiling ladies sport hats of myriad colors, from bright gold to powder blue with a purple flowing lace. Beverly Tipton Hammond's paintings have a free-flowing quality, often depicting subjects with their eyes closed, wearing hats so complex that they almost look psychedelic. (1-5 p.m. Tue.-Wed. & Fri.; 1-7 p.m. Thu.; 9 a.m.-noon Sat. Ends Jan. 31. 1256 Penn Av. N., fourth floor, Mpls. Free. Maahmg.org)

Alicia Eler