PRESS RELEASE: Martha’s Vineyard Museum Announces Three New Exhibitions Exploring Island Stories

Press release: february 2025

Martha’s Vineyard Museum Announces Three New Exhibitions Exploring Island Stories

February 21, 2025 – Vineyard Haven, MA – The Martha’s Vineyard Museum is proud to present three new exhibitions, each offering a unique lens into the Island’s history and the lives that have shaped it. From rarely-seen portraits of Vineyarders to the powerful legacies of Black and Wampanoag communities, these exhibitions invite visitors to engage with the Island’s past in meaningful ways.

Where They Still Remain

Photographer and writer Austin Bryant explores the enduring presence of Black and Wampanoag communities on Martha’s Vineyard in Where They Still Remain. Rooted in a remarkable 1854 story of escape and refuge, the exhibition traces stories of resilience, displacement, and survival through Bryant’s original photography, archival imagery, and redacted newspaper texts. His work sheds light on histories that have long been overlooked, asking visitors to consider the past as something still unfolding today.

Opening Reception: Friday, February 28, 5:30 – 7 PM

Finding Our Way Home: The Denniston Family and 11 Masonic Avenue

The story of Rev. Oscar Denniston and his family takes center stage in Finding Our Way Home, an exhibition exploring one family’s journey from Jamaica to Oak Bluffs and the lasting impact they made on the Island. Denniston transformed the Oakland Mission into Bradley Memorial Church, creating a sanctuary that welcomed African Americans, Wampanoag families, and immigrant workers at a time when racial and ethnic divisions shaped places of worship. Through archival photographs, personal artifacts, and historical documents, the exhibit honors the powerful legacy of faith, community, and belonging.

On view: February 18 – May 4, 2025

Faces of a Century

A selection of thirteen rarely-seen portraits from the Museum’s collection offers a glimpse into the faces that have shaped the Vineyard over the past 100 years. Now on view in the second floor hallway, Faces of a Century features portraits of individuals such as Thomas Dexter, Amos Smalley, TM Araujo, Max Eastman, Ginny Jones, and Delores Stevens, alongside the work of painters and photographers including Jeanne Staples, Richard Limber, Traeger Di Pietro, Bruce Davidson, Patrick Cashin, and Editta Sherman.

On view: January 21 – May 4, 2025

Each of these exhibitions sheds light on different facets of Vineyard history, inviting visitors to connect with the stories, struggles, and contributions of those who have called the Island home. We invite you to visit these exhibitions, explore the Museum’s collections, and discover the complex and diverse narratives that continue to shape Martha’s Vineyard.

About Martha’s Vineyard Museum
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum inspires all people to discover, explore, and strengthen their connections to the Island and its diverse heritage. Through exhibitions, programs, and a vast collection of artifacts, photographs, and oral histories, the Museum preserves and shares the stories of Martha’s Vineyard—past and present. Located in Vineyard Haven, the Museum offers year-round opportunities for learning and engagement for visitors of all ages. For more information, visit mvmuseum.org.