The Hoover Public Library Galleries are thrilled to present, from our permanent collection, The Work of Joe Minter: A Photo Essay. In 2011, the Hoover Public Library commissioned a project about the work of Alabama artist and political activist Joe Minter. This photographic essay is comprised of approximately 150 images,16 framed prints and was shot by photographer Lance Shores. It documents Mr. Minter’s African Village in America – his personal and spiritual tribute to 400 years of African-America history. The village, located at Minter’s home in the Woodland Park neighborhood of Birmingham, is an ever-growing timeline of creations detailing the African-American experience. It is comprised of sculptures, signs, paintings and monuments that Minter has created from found objects. Joe Minter’s work is currently featured in the exhibition History Refused to Die: Highlights From the Souls Grown Deep Foundation Gift at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.