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In a 1982 article from Sam Houston State University, Leon Renfro described creating from memory instead of models, pulling from childhood, East Texas, African influences, and lived experience. The article highlighted his thesis exhibition featuring “seven summers of work” and noted that he often used materials connected to his upbringing, including burlap, wallpaper, earth colors, and texture. “I work from memory instead of models. I find that it helps. The imagination works

FESTAC FRIDAY My grandfather, Professor Leon Renfro, was a participant in FESTAC ’77, and through Brown Renfro, we want to dig deeper into this incredible cultural moment that helped shape Black art, identity, creativity, and global connection. So… what exactly was FESTAC ’77? FESTAC ’77 was the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture held in Lagos, Nigeria in 1977. It brought together thousands of artists, musicians, scholars, writers, dancers, and vision

Hundreds will view and watch the story unfold. A few will engage. But we need more than one person to carry it on. Visibility is not the same as support. Don’t be shy. Let us and everyone else know you’re here. Your voice, your support, your engagement, and your presence are a part of history and herstory. We don’t just hang the art. We carry it on. www.BrownRenfro.com

Introducing Thesis Thursday. A weekly look inside the writings, artistic process, research, and teachings of Professor Leon Renfro. Not just the finished artwork. The thinking behind it. The influences behind it. The purpose behind it. Decades later, these writings are still teaching us about heritage, identity, African influence, and artistic process. The thesis still speaks. Brown Renfro: The Professor. The Student. The Curator. www.brownrenfro.com We don’t just hang the a

Carry It On Voices We’re taking a moment to highlight the voices in this community, the people engaging, encouraging, and helping us truly carry this legacy forward. Your words matter.Your reflections matter.And your connection to this story means more than you know. This reflection came from Yonet Rivers: “I’m in awe… this is incredible. ” Simple. Genuine. Powerful. Moments like this remind us that Brown Renfro is not just about artwork on walls. It is about connection, memo

We’ve had so many questions about what to expect during Juneteenth Weekend on June 19, so we wanted to clarify. This will not be the full Brown Renfro exhibition. During Juneteenth Weekend, Brown Renfro will be present through a special introduction connected to: Sacred Web: The Artistic Lineage of John T. Biggersat the Texas Southern University Museum. Professor Leon Renfro was a student of Dr. Biggers, and it is truly an honor for his story, legacy, and upcoming exhibition

Some moments just carry presence. Affirmative intention. Legacy in motion. The vision entered the room. Wearing Brown Renfro: The Professor. The Student. The Curator. www.BrownRenfro.com “We don’t just hang the art. We carry it on.”

What the art is teaching us: To pause. To remember. To reconnect. These works are not only preserving history. They are actively teaching us about ancestry, identity, memory, lineage, and the quiet ways legacy survives through generations. The legacy is still speaking. And we are still learning. Brown Renfro: The Professor. The Student. The Curator. www.BrownRenfro.com

The countdown is officially on. Our Juneteenth Pre-Exhibit at Texas Southern University is a special introduction to the story, the legacy, and the journey behind Brown Renfro: The Professor. The Student. The Curator. Think of it as the opening conversation. A glimpse into the rediscovery. A preview of what’s to come. The full official exhibition, featuring most of the collection, expanded works, deeper storytelling, and additional pieces from the archive, will be on view: Au

Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and I hope everyone had a beautiful day filled with love, reflection, and connection. Today I am posting this photo. Baby Avery sitting on my mother’s lap opening gifts at my very first at home birthday party beneath a painting by my grandfather, Professor Leon Renfro. In the painting above us is my father as a child at his own birthday party. Three generations held inside one moment. And none of us could have imagined what this picture would event

Mothers hold history in their hands long before the world sees it. Happy Mother’s Day from Brown Renfro. The Professor. The Student. The Curator. We don’t just hang the art. We carry it on. WWW.BROWNRENFRO.COM

BROWN RENFRO The Professor. The Student. The Curator. The story didn’t end with the artist. More than an exhibition. A family rediscovery. www.BROWNRENFRO.com We don’t just hang the art. We carry it on.

A student in a larger than life desk discovering a larger than life story. A student of African American Studies. A student of legacy. Now the curator of both. She studied African American history. Then discovered she was part of it. A student in the classroom. A curator in the archive. A granddaughter carrying it on. www.BrownRenfro.com We don’t just hang the art. We carry it on.

Sitting in front of red, black, and green. 816 Gabriel’s House.Department of African American Studies. The colors of the Pan African flag.Red for the blood and sacrifice carried through generations.Black for the people, the culture, and the beauty of Black identity.Green for the land, growth, hope, and the future we continue to build. The colors of legacy. Liberation. Lineage. The story was already around me before I fully realized I was carrying it. Brown RenfroThe Professor

We’re gifting a piece of Brown Renfro merch to one story that moves us. Because legacy isn’t just ours.It belongs to all of us. What’s something in your family that deserves to be carried on? A story. A tradition. A person. A recipe. A gift. A way of loving. Share it below in the comments. We’ll be selecting voices and stories to feature as part of the Brown Renfro journey. www.brownrenfro.com We don’t just hang the art.We carry it on.

African American Studies is the study of the history, culture, experiences, and contributions of people of African descent, especially in the United States. This is where it begins. Avery Brown Renfro Bachelor of Arts African American Studies Virginia Commonwealth University Not just a degree, but the foundation for understanding, preserving, and carrying forward the stories that came before her. From student to curator. Brown Renfro The Professor. The Student. The Curator...

An open letter. For those who create, carry, preserve, and recognize what matters. This is a reflection on the work, the responsibility, and the legacy behind it. Brown Renfro The Professor. The Student. The Curator. www.brownrenfro.com We don’t just hang the art. We carry it on.

Mud cloth. Message. Meaning. Worn and carried forward. the professor. the student. the curator. Avery carries it on. lineage. legacy. love. art. www.brownrenfro.com We don’t just hang the art. We carry it on. See less

Lineage. Legacy. Love. Art. Standing in front of Virginia Commonwealth University Department of African American Studies, where stories like ours are studied, preserved, and carried forward. This is more than a building. This is a bridge between past and present. The professor. The student. The curator. We don’t just hang the art. We carry it on. www.BrownRenfro.com We don’t just hang the art. We carry it on.