Immerse yourself in the world of Freeman Vines. Explore the Hanging Tree Guitars virtual exhibition: https://exhibit.hangingtreeguitars.com

Freeman Vines (b. 1942) built his first guitar in 1958 and has been searching for a tone ever since. Using found materials from around his lifelong home in Eastern North Carolina, Vines hand carves instruments and objects that reveal an intense struggle with race, ecology, and his own self. In 2016 Vines acquired a stack of lumber from the tree used in the lynching of Oliver Moore in 1930 which led to his most recent project – Hanging Tree Guitars.

Ndubuisi C. Ezeluomba is the Francois Billion Richardson curator of African art at the New Orleans Museum of Art and holds a doctorate in Art history from the University of Florida, Gainesville. Dr. Ezeluomba specializes in the visual cultures of shrines, and has contributed articles and book chapters on the topic. He also writes for the museum and about the politics of acquisition.