TOUR JOURNAL

MEETING ONE OF MOBILE’S LOCAL HISTORIANS - APRIL 10, 2026

I had the great pleasure of meeting the Mobile native Sheila Flanagan, a local historian who worked for the Mobile Historical Museum and is now the lead docent at the Historical Avenue Cultural Center. At 71 years young, she beautifully weaved her own memories and personal narratives with the over 100 years of history about this importnat Black neighborhood. The Hisotrical Avenue Cultural Center started out as the segregated (separate and unequal) library for Black risdents in this communities hey day. After decades of systemic

From the Alabama Contemporary Art Center website “Located on “the Avenue,” the Ace Theatre is one of the last surviving movie theaters that served all-Black audiences in Mobile. It was built in 1943 by James Huestis King, who operated King, Inc. and Southern Theaters, Inc. which also operated Pike and Crown Theaters.”

MOBILE BOUND - April 9, 2026

I’m so excited about my first site visit on the Southern Shores Hair Painting Tour. I’m so excited to be starting my adventure across the south meeting amazing folks, artists, and organizations. Flying to NYC to Mobile is so easy. A quick layover in Charlotte and 90 mins later I made to my Mobile. Once landed, I hopped in an Uber and rode to the Mobile Museum of Art for the opening of “Handle with Care” curated by Alabama Contemporary Art Center, featuring the artists Calder Kamin and Jacob Reptile. ACAC is the arts org supporting and facilitating my coming to Mobile. While we’ve had multiple calls over zoom, showing up at the museum was the first time I met the whole team - Nikki, Elizabet, Micah, and Allison.