They come from the earth, sun-ripened, hollowed out, tough-skinned. But in Michele Tejuola’s studio, gourds shed their silence. Under her carving tools, they speak.
On June 12, the Fort Works Art Gallery will unveil “Inheritance,” a solo exhibition that spans more than 40 years of Tejuola’s work. Each gourd is carved and painted with painstaking detail, transforming the traditional craft into a powerful visual language of ancestry, motherhood, race, and survival. The opening coincides with “Declarations of Freedom,” a group show presented in partnership with the National Juneteenth Museum, marking the institution’s first public exhibition ahead of its highly anticipated 2026 debut in Fort Worth, according to a release.
“I am proud to be a part of this incredible event for Fort Worth,” says Lauren Saba, owner of Fort Works Art Gallery and president of Gallery of Dreams. “This moment is a rare alignment of history, heritage, and art. Showing Tejuola’s work alongside the first-ever Juneteenth Museum’s exhibition honors the deep roots and lineage of Fort Worth. The artist’s tribute to the story of Opal Lee in her latest work is a powerful dedication and love letter to our city.”
Tejuola’s path to gourd art began in the 1990s after years in retail advertising and a move from Detroit to the South. Her work carries the weight of history — both her own and that of her community. “Juneteenth was not in my vocabulary until the early 1990s,” she said in a statement. “So, I was amazed to learn even more about African American and American history that just was not talked about or taught when I was growing up… As I continued carving these stories over the years, it kept expanding my vision of what I could do with a gourd as my canvas.”
Though deeply personal, the works in "Inheritance" speak to something collective. Their presence at this cultural juncture — alongside pieces by Black artists from across the U.S. in “Declarations of Freedom” — transforms the gallery into something more than a viewing space. It becomes a sanctuary of remembrance, resilience, and pride.
As Fort Worth prepares to host the country’s only museum dedicated to Juneteenth, Tejuola’s work reminds us that liberation doesn’t just live in monuments or textbooks. Sometimes, it lives in the curve of a gourd — carved with care, held in hand, passed down like a story.
EXHIBITION DETAILS
"Inheritance" by Michele Tejuola
Location: Fort Works Art Gallery, 2100 Montgomery St., Fort Worth, TX 76107
Dates: June 12 – July 19, 2025
Opening Reception: June 12, 6:00 – 9:00 PM
For more information, visit fortworksart.com
