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This month I have a small solo exhibition at the Seward House Museum in Auburn, New York. The exhibition features a series of ink drawings inspired by the home of William H. Seward, who served as U.S. Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Seward and his wife, Frances, were committed abolitionists and supporters of women’s suffrage. Their home also served as a refuge for freedom seekers escaping slavery through the Underground Railroad, even while Seward was serving in Washington, D.C.

As part of my research for this project, I read the book “Seward: Lincoln’s Indispensable Man” by Walter Stahr. One of the things that struck me was how familiar many aspects of American politics felt. The country was bitterly divided then, much as it is today. There was intense xenophobia toward Irish and Italian immigrants, echoing today’s hostility toward newer immigrant communities. Politicians on all sides used harsh tactics, and there were accusations of ballot stuffing and illegal voting, much as there are today.

I find it both disappointing and, in a way, reassuring to realize that Americans have been grappling with many of the same conflicts since the Civil War. It seems that for every significant advance in civil rights and equality, there are setbacks along the way.

My exhibition takes its title from the museum’s tagline: “One House, Many Stories”. Each drawing is a portrait of a room or an object, titled for the purpose they served. There are gracious rooms for entertaining, a library for reading, rooms for sleeping and studying, and objects of artistic beauty and formal utility. But for me, the most resonant space is the basement kitchen, a place that sheltered freedom seekers on their journey to Canada. Whenever I am tempted to think that things were better in the past, I remember this history. This country has come a long way, and we still have a long way to go.

Seward House Museum is not to be missed if you are in the area, but if not, you can see a collection of the work for this exhibition here:https://www.domenicabrockman.com/collections/231109