"Juke Joint, An Installation by Willie Little"
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Wednesday, October 22, 2025


"Juke Joint, An Installation by Willie Little"



DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA.- The Center for Documentary Studies presents "Juke Joint, An Installation by North Carolina Artist Willie Little." Juke Joint is an interactive, multimedia installation that brings to life the illegal liquor house artist Willie Little’s father ran in Pactolus Township, near Little Washington, North Carolina. The time is the late sixties and seventies, the patrons are here. It’s nighttime at the Little Grocery.



"At six or seven I was like a sponge absorbing all the ’goings-on’ in that tar-paper shotgun shack. Juke Joint is a historical and cultural work in that it documents a fading part of the rural lifestyle," Little says. "I utilize artifacts, distressed walls, sculptured mannequins, and a blues-filled narrative audio track to breathe life into the warm, humorous, sometimes seedy, yet real depiction of a slice of rural life."



Juke Joint re-creates the look and feel of a segment of Southern culture changed by the urban migration of African Americans, the commercialization of the blues, and other shifting forces. In their prime, many juke joints were twenty-four-hour convenience stores and liquor houses combined. Customers could buy bread, milk, candy bars, and various sundries during normal hours. Late at night, especially on weekends, they could buy corn liquor and name-brand alcohol in a setting conducive to good times.



"During the day, my father’s place was known as Little’s Grocery, but when night fell, so did its mask of civic purpose," says Little. "People stole in from across the county for a little gin, a little dancing and romancing. ’The Store’ was a physical metaphor for the masks upon masks that African Americans have often had to wear in a country that actively relegated their existence to the darkest corners, the darkest hours."



Juke Joint brings together a compelling assortment of characters. You’ll meet Miss Odell, "a frisky, slender woman with a raggedy mouth"; Pee Wee, "a drunken wanderer"; Sara Caroway, who "would stroll through Pactolus sporting a parasol no matter the weather"; Eshu and Glory, "inseparable lovers who always fought and made up"; Miss Margaret, "a dark, slender, dignified woman who smoked a million packs of cigarettes a day"; and Miss Beola, "who had a laugh that sounded like the down-shifting of an old car’s transmission, gears just a-grinding."



"The installation’s goal is to facilitate the viewer’s experience of the characters’ vivacity, their passions, and their desperate drive to not merely exist but to live joyfully despite the tragedy of a marginalized existence," says Little. "Juke Joint is about telling stories through my artwork as completely as I can. You see, the figures are surreal. They are based on real people, although I tried to make them appear even bigger than life. People, regardless of their background or race, can relate to the exhibit. It transcends the boundaries of the African American experience."



Born in 1961, Little received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In his artwork he explores and blends two- and three-dimensional art, personal narrative, and interactive installations. Drawing from the Southern traditions of North Carolina, the work celebrates the extraordinary nature of the everyday, what Little refers to as the "unsung things and people that are taken for granted." Little has had solo exhibitions at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History, Detroit; the College of Charleston, Charleston; The Museum of the New South, Charlotte; and the Dallas African-American Museum, Dallas. Group exhibitions include Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock; Lew Allen Contemporary Gallery, Sante Fe; and the Rice/Polak Gallery, Provincetown, Massachusetts.











Today's News

October 22, 2025

Mateo Blanco donates iconic works to the Butler Institute, elevating contemporary American art

Wide range of books from Art Deco to Oscar Wilde on offer at Chelsea Rare Book Fair

Christopher Le Brun debuts solo show at Almine Rech Paris

From rare Louisiana furniture to the Bee Gees: Crescent City's November auction brings eclectic mix

Ancient treasures and modern masterpieces headline Artemis Fine Arts auction

Gagosian announces the representation of Richard Diebenkorn

Renoir: A secret masterpiece resurfaces from a French family collection after a century

Chiharu Shiota's immersive installations take over MAO Museo d'Arte Orientale

Christie's to offer modern Arab masterpieces including pioneering female voices from across the Arab world

Ed Ruscha opens the door to interior worlds in new Paris exhibition

British Museum to save exquisite Henry VIII pendant for the nation

Uncovering Cobá's power broker: New monument reveals Queen Ix Ch'ak Ch'een

The Met names Liu Wei as The Genesis Facade Commission artist for 2026

Colby celebrates installation of monumental sculpture and forthcoming painting

Todd McFarlane Batman cover brings record $781,250

Cara Collection of British Rarities returns to spotlight in Heritage's World & Ancient Coins auction

RM Sotheby's celebrates its best ever Munich auction with €26 million sale at Motorworld

Arta Sperto presents KorSonoR-Sound and Visual Arts 2025

Gabriel Mills unveils 'The Great Collapse': A bold exploration of weight and atmosphere in paint

The Design Museum announces its 2026 programme

Dayton Art Institute hosts major Art Nouveau exhibition

Cristina BanBan translates Lorca's universe in ambitious 'Lorquianas' exhibition at Perrotin Paris

Palais de Tokyo presents monumental exhibition of sculptor Melvin Edwards

MoMI and Tezos Foundation partner to showcase artists working with blockchain as an artistic medium




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



The OnlineCasinosSpelen editors have years of experience with everything related to online gambling providers and reliable online casinos Nederland. If you have any questions about casino bonuses and, please contact the team directly.


Truck Accident Attorneys

sports betting sites not on GamStop



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)


Editor: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez


Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
       
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful