Building For Tomorrow: E.C. Morris, Centennial Church and the Black Baptists During Jim Crow

This extraordinary new exhibition explores the role of the Baptist Church in the lives of African Americans during the turbulent period of Jim Crow, as they navigated the difficulties and hardships of a segregated country.  Visitors, as they enter the South Gallery of the Delta Cultural Center, will first notice the large replica stain glass window that symbolizes the church. It is if they have been reborn in the past and are looking into this window to see what is happening in a church of that era. From that point, guests will be able to read and study numerous historical panels that depict the expansion of the Baptist Church throughout the Arkansas Delta and into the lives of African Americans. 

Activists such as Booker T. Washington and others used this religious awakening to further the cause of reform, but it was through the tireless labor of one Arkansan that the church rose to new levels of importance. That Arkansan was the Reverend Elias Camp Morris, who rose to national prominence through his work with the National Baptist Convention. In addition to his work in politics, Morris was the pastor at Centennial Baptist Church in Helena, Arkansas from 1879 to his death in 1922. Centennial was an example of an early megachurch with nearly a thousand members and was a beacon of light for all African Americans in the area. E.C. Morris was also president of the Black Arkansas Baptist State Convention for 35 years and helped start a seminary in Little Rock that eventually became Arkansas Baptist College.  There is a life size replica of Morris at his podium and interactive displays which feature a number of his speeches that visitors may listen to. In addition to the church, there are also displays and information panels dealing with the role of fraternal organizations like the Knights of Pythias and the Masons.

Small Works on Paper

"Small Works on Paper", in cooperation with Arkansas Arts Council, will be on display within the center gallery of the DCC Visitor Center at 141 Cherry Street from July 11 to August 22, 2025. A grand opening was held on Friday, July 11, with guest speakers, music, and food.

Small Works on Paper is a juried touring, visual art exhibition that showcases 2D artwork created by Arkansas artists that is no longer than 18-by-24 inches.

The Small Works on Paper exhibition travels to up to 10 venues throughout the state in a yearlong show that offers Arkansas artists an opportunity to showcase their artwork to patrons all over the state. An out-of-state juror selects a maximum of 40 pieces of artwork for the exhibition.

This year’s exhibition features 40 pieces of artwork by 35 Arkansas artists. The exhibition will tour to nine venues statewide.

More than 200 artwork entries were received this year that were juried by Mario A. Robinson, a full-time artist based in New Jersey. Originally from Oklahoma, Robinson attended the prestigious Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. He is a figurative painter who works in pastel, watercolor and oils. He is the author of “Lessons in Realistic Watercolor,” a comprehensive guide of watercolor techniques. Robinson’s work is widely collected by private and public collectors.