“WHEN THEY WERE HERE”: An immersive exhibition featuring works by local artist Beverly Keese-Kelley is in the William Trent House Museum’s Visitor Center in Trenton September 21 through September 29.

The Trent House Association hosts an exhibition by local artist Beverly Keese-Kelley in the Museum’s Visitor Center, premiering on Art All Day, September 21, and continuing through September 29. The exhibit, “When They Were Here,” complements the mission of the William Trent House Museum to share authentic stories of U.S. history. The museum is located at 15 Market Street in Trenton, across from the Hughes Justice Complex. Free parking and the museum entrance are at the rear of the property off William Trent Place.

“When They Were Here” is an immersive exhibit presenting a snapshot of those whose stories may not have been told. Keese-Kelley preserves their forgotten tales through an installation of artifacts, providing a visual journey into the past. With flashes of historical moments of untold and abandoned stories about the African American experience during enslavement and beyond, these stories are preserved and the contributions of those who lived them are celebrated.

The exhibit travels from venue to venue collecting objects and stories from the public. Visitors to the Trent House Visitor Center exhibit can work with the artist to incorporate their artifacts into this ongoing work of art during Art All Day on September 21, or on the last day of the exhibit on Sunday, September 29.

A Trenton native, multidisciplinary artist Keese-Kelley began creating art as a youth, under the tutorials of her mother Sudie Keese who taught her sewing, art, and decorating. She compiles her artwork from a “sustainable” point of view, using what is readily available such as found, thrifted, and recyclable items, all the while using techniques and methods long known to African artisans. Keese-Kelley combines her talent for art and crafting with her passion for history and the human experience, to visually articulate an emotional connection to both the past and present existence of the African American diaspora.

Keese-Kelley currently sits on the Trenton Museum Society’s Board of Trustees as chair of the Education Committee and was recently voted chair of the Ewing Arts Commission and volunteers with the 1719 William Trent House and the Princeton University Museum of Art. She received a Proclamation of Honor for her art from the Mercer County Board of Commissioners. Examples of her work are on her website at thebeverlyartstudio.com.

The William Trent House Museum is a National Historic Landmark in the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area and on the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail. The Museum is dedicated to sharing the authentic history of the house, property, and people with our communities, connecting the past with today and tomorrow. For more information, visit williamtrenthouse.org.