Художник из Вирджинии открыл выставку, посвященную истории своих предков-рабов, ставших основателями города

Curiosity about Virginia's historic landowners and online sleuthing led Chris Diont'e down a fascinating path. Diont'e, the first artist-in-residence at the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center, has used the story he discovered for his show at the Newport News gallery. He's also using it in other work to honor his roots. The exhibition, “Ancestral Soil, 1865: The Foundation of Freeman Virginia,” runs through Saturday and bridges the gap between generations more than 150 years apart. Diont'e, 35, grew up in Hampton, and somehow became attached to a culture foreign to his peers at Bethel High. Friends wanted him to play basketball. He had a passion for rodeo and learning what it would take to ride on a bull for more than eight seconds. He grew up wanting to find land and live in open space, an idea that crystallized once he became a father. Diont'e and his son, Hovah, 4, live on more than 100 acres in rural Suffolk. “I didn’t want my son to look out the window and see squirrels,” Diont’e said. “I wanted him to see horses.” His sister, Kierra Sawyer, often wondered where the love of horses came from. But she also knew and understood his artistic nature. “He was born with that. He was always a trendsetter,” she said. The space under his bunk bed was the first showroom for Diont’e, who became the artist-in-residence in spring 2025. Diont'e's creative versatility led to fashion design and his own brand, For Generations to Come. He competes on the rodeo circuit and designs clothes for horse lovers. His interest in history led him to research Virginia's first landowners of color last year. He was stunned to see one name pop up repeatedly. Callis. It's a family name. His family's name. Diont'e tracked down court documents, talked to extended family with questions he never thought to ask and was able to confirm the story of two brothers who went from property to pioneers. They were Ira and Ruffin Callis, his third great-grandfather and uncle. Suddenly his passion for livestock and horses didn't seem so out of place. Ira and Ruffin were skilled blacksmiths and horse trainers, enslaved in Louisiana. Their enslaver left them to work his prized horses when he joined the Confederate Army. He entrusted them with burying the family gold, promising them their freedom and a certain amount of gold if he did not return alive. The slave master, named Callis, never came back, and the brothers dug up the gold and fled. Their destination was Virginia, as their father was a Yorktown native. Ira and Ruffin Callis walked the final 10 days of the journey and crossed into Totaro, Virginia. Locals welcomed them as free men. The brothers purchased 1,500 acres. They built a home and a school, and a church that stands today. The area near Emporia became known as Freeman in honor of their freedom. “This information has been like a treasure box,” Diont’e said. “I felt like I hit the lottery for this.” He included photos of each of the brothers in the exhibition as powerful reminders. Diont’e’s most poignant contributions, though, are multiple pastels on canvas that depict the struggles and triumphs of his ancestors. “It’s been an emotional journey because I put myself in their shoes and tried to understand, ‘What was that like?’" said Diont’e, who choked up several times reflecting on the story during the opening reception last week. “I’ve had some rough experiences, but I don’t think it can ever match what they went through.” One addition he shows off with pride is a painting from Hovah, who rises with his father at 4 a.m. to tend to the 32 horses they care for together. Diont’e's master plan calls for all the art to be housed in Freeman, where Diont’e owns 600 acres of family land. He is planning a museum and equestrian center. “As far as the paintings and the sculptures I work on, they’ll all honor that 1800 era and all that my grandfather and his brother had to endure,” he said. Patrons can join Diont’e for a free community quilting project, "Threads of Resilience," to share what he calls the tapestry of shared history told through collective memories, struggles and triumphs. A workshop will take place on Friday. RSVP is required. Visit Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center for more information.