Thenceforward, and Forever Free

The Haggerty museum explores the concept of freedom in its latest exhibition, “Thenceforward, and Forever Free,” which presents seven contemporary artistsLaylah Ali, Willie Birch, Michael Ray Charles, Gary Simmons, Elisabeth Subrin, Mark Wagner and Kara Walkerwho use diverse mediums such as installation, painting, printmaking and video to reflect on the impact freedom has on society. The exhibition, which features an entire wall of Simmons' chalk drawings and Wagner's 17-foot-high sculpture crafted from more than 1,100 dollar bills, instills a sense of how freedom touches our individual lives. It's presented along with two smaller exhibitions that juxtapose historical and modern contexts for the definition of liberty: “Freedom Of/For/To: Photography from the Permanent Collection,” which offers insights from seven fine art photographers, and “The Freedom Project: Text/Context,” by the Chipstone Foundation, which mines historical decorative arts and perspectives.