The Old Dominion Painting

As a little Salvadoran-American girl growing up in Virginia, I remember learning certain key dates in public school. One was 1619. This was the year that enslaved Africans were first brought to Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Jamestown represented the beginning of the end for so many indigenous people in the New World. Two-hundred years later in 1819, colonialism certainly had not slowed down. This was another landmark year I learned in grade school. It was the year that Congress banned the slave trade—and yet the institution of slavery continued. Two-hundred years later, we are here, today, a time when Central American immigrants and refugees are held in cages, just another form of slavery. My painting includes the years 1619, 1819, and 2019 with figures representing Pamunkey, Senegambian, and Salvadoran cultures. The words in the background are the lyrics from two of Virginia's three state songs: "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" (retired for racist lyrics) and "Our Great Virginia" (the current traditional song; there's another song, "Sweet Virginia Breeze," designated as the state's popular song). With its long history and emphasis on heritage and tradition, Virginia remains a complex place.

Painting:Watercolor on Paper

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:30 W x 22 H x 0.1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.