King Coal

Elaine McMillion Sheldon, American

King Coal, 2023

This image, a still from Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s 2023 documentary King Coal, shows two children walking through a field surrounded by smoke. The Coal industry has greatly impacted the region of Appalachia, shaping the health and lives of millions of people that call this area of the country home. In Sheldon’s documentary, she sheds light on the fact that the industry digs deeper than just economics, presenting the full psychological and physical hold it has over the region, it’s people, and their customs. Coal has become so entrenched in their society that a picture as jarring as this one seems commonplace. Label by Jackson Schiminger

Our Mountains are Sick! But We are Strong

Rommy Torrico, Chilean-American

Our Mountains are Sick! But We are Strong, 2019

The print was created by Rommy Torrico for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, and the print depicts the stark reality of mountaintop-removal coal mining. Within the print, extractive industries are clearly illustrated through the silhouettes of machinery dislodging rocks, as bits of the rock skitter into a deep abyss. We even see birds take flight away from the machinery, soaring towards the solace of a still-standing mountain. However, even with the threat of extraction so clearly shown, resilience proudly filters through the discouraging images. The green mountains stand stoic and tall in the background, and the faces of protestors are still visible through coal slurry in the forefront of the image. The mountains and protestors all seem to echo the sentiment—“But We Are Strong.” Label by Eliza Madison

The Power Arrangers

Mike South, American

The Power Arrangers, 1997

This charcoal drawing was made by Mike South, an artist and coal miner. The content of the drawing represents much of the mythos surrounding coal miners in Appalachia. It celebrates the hard work of miners to provide for their communities. The context behind the drawing illustrates the darker side of the coal industry. Mike South was diagnosed with black lung disease at age 35 after spending 11 years working at Armco Steel’s Semet-Solvay mine in West Virginia. South had always been an artist but most of his work was done with oil paints. As his condition worsened, the fumes from the oil paints began to irritate his lungs and he switched to charcoal drawings as seen in The Power Arrangers. South spent the rest of his life advocating for mine workers and creating art until he passed from black lung disease in 2001. Label by Becca Gurysh

Black Lung

Vincent Liu, Taiwanese-American

Black Lung, 2014

Vincent Liu’s Black Lung depicts Chinese coal miners' health risks at their jobs as they inhale pollutants to provide for their families. Liu claims that this painting is a dedication to all workers who put their lives at risk to put food on the table around the world. The artist’s rich use of texture and color demonstrates how inhaling pollution weakens workers as they inhale toxic fumes, creating physical and metaphorical scars. Liu's work shows mining is mentally and physically taxing, as seen by the pain in the miner’s eyes and the smoke he carries in his lungs. Label by Clarissa Cantacuzene