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The Cleveland Poetry Scene, 1960s-1970s
Marovitz Gallery, 1st Floor, University Libraries

The central figure in Cleveland’s growing counterculture/underground poetry scene in the early 1960s was a young man named Darryl Allen Levy (he used the pen name d.a.levy). Levy wanted to write the epic Cleveland poem to give his home city what it lacked: great poems about itself. In 1964-1965, he wrote Cleveland Undercovers, a wild, surreal, sometimes profane travelogue that runs from Short Vincent Street to Karamu House, Public Square to the Bay Village police station, and which is packed with allusions to Cleveland’s history.

This exhibit draws on the rich 20th century poetry holdings in Special Collections & Archives to provide a glimpse of Levy’s work, along with that of some of his contemporaries and followers, all part of the Cleveland poetry scene during this period. (Curated by Kathleen Siebert Medicus and Abby Fife)

Lafayette Tolliver: Visual Footprints in Time

Kent State student photojournalist Lafayette Tolliver (BS '71) documented Black campus life, from 1967-1971. The exhibit provides viewers with an array of subjects he documented and includes selected editorials he wrote in the Daily Kent Stater. The goal is to generate interest in and further exploration of this amazing body of work that Tolliver has shared with Kent State and the world. The physical exhibition has closed, but a digital version of this exhibit is still available. (Curated by Cara Gilgenbach)

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Exhibition: Keeping Kent Open

Immediately following the Kent State shootings, President Robert White ordered that the University close and an injunction was then granted to that effect. However, the faculty voted to complete their courses by any means necessary. This exhibit features legal documents, news clippings, letters, and oral histories surrounding the effort to keep Kent State open. (Curated by Katie Davis)

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 Exhibition: Campus Strike Papers: The Aftermath of May 4, 1970 
 

In the aftermath of the shootings of May 4, 1970, Kent State University Libraries sent letters to colleges and universities across the nation requesting campus strike newspapers and related documents to be archived for future research. This exhibit highlights a selection of the responses that are found in the Campus Strike papers in Special Collections and Archives. The exhibit was on display in the Marovitz Gallery, 1st Floor, University Library from August 2020 - September 2021. A companion virtual exhibit is available to view online by clicking the link below. (Curated by Anita Clary)

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Exhibition:  50 Years: Long Live the Memory: Civil Rights, Black Power, and Anti-War Actions: Orangeburg, Kent, and Jackson, 1960-1967
Borowitz Gallery (hallway adjacent to the Special Collections & Archives reading room), University Library, 12th floor. Open to the public 9:00 am - 4:45, Monday - Friday.

Part of a multi-location suite of exhibits created in 2020 to mark the 50th commemoration of the Kent State and Jackson State shootings. This segment of these inter-related exhibits focuses on civil rights and anti-war actions at Kent State (Kent, OH), Jackson State (Jackson, MS), and South Carolina State (Orangeburg, SC) in the years 1960-1967.  (Curated by Cara Gilgenbach)

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• View the Companion Exhibit: Black Student Movements Orangeburg, Kent and Jackson State 1968-1970, Curated by Professor Idris Kabir Syed, Kent State University Department of Africana Studies

Exhibition: The Truth Demands Justice: A Snapshot History of the May 4th Task Force

This exhibition features posters, flyers, and other items created by the May 4th Task Force, a student-run organization founded in 1975 to raise awareness among students, faculty, administrators, and the general public about the Kent State shootings of May 4, 1970. (Curated by Haley Antell)

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Exhibition: Spotlight on Special Collections & Archives at Kent State

Visitors can view interesting examples of books, manuscripts, and archival materials that illustrate the major areas of strength in the collections: American Poets, British & American Literature, Children’s Literature, History of the Book, History of Science & Exploration; Kent State University History, Local History, Performing Arts, and True Crime. New examples will be appear on a regular basis, so visit often! (Curated by Kathleen Siebert Medicus and others from Special Collections & Archives)

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Precise dates of exhibitions are subject to change.

See our Past Events and Exhibitions page for information and links related to past programs.