12 Tablecloths by Chloé Duplessis | History Colorado

Current Exhibition

Informed by plantation life practices of the late 1800's, 12 Tablecloths is an immersive art experience that offers an Afro-futurist re-imagining of a Southern dining table.

Inspired by a decade of research anchored in the history of domestic service, early American culinary traditions, and the ideology that birthed the United States; 12 Tablecloths respectfully presents lesser known truths about our shared history, and leverages them in pursuit of an authentically inclusive future.

Guests have a number of opportunities to join us for an Artist Talk and Exhibit Tour hear directly from Chloé Duplessis. Artist talks begin at noon on a variety of dates in August and September. Reserve your ticket here. Tickets to the Artist Talk include General Admission to the Center for Colorado Women’s History.

Chloé Duplessis is a legally blind artist, curator and historian committed to creating work that centers equity, accessibility and healing. In doing so, she seeks to center the importance of shared history, and erode the social constructs that oppress people of color and those navigating disability.

With over twenty years of experience in intercultural engagement, arts administration and advocacy, she has traveled to 9 countries and 24 states in support of her work. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Cultural Studies from The University of New Orleans, and studied art and history at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.

Duplessis is the creator of Denver's first accessible "I VOTED" sticker and co-creator of the noted Holding Hope mural located in downtown Denver. She is also the 2023 recipient of Denver Mayor's Award for Excellence in Arts and Culture in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Chloé is the founder of Duplessis Art, an arts studio and consultancy based in Denver, Colorado.

Chloé offers many thanks to The Center for Colorado Women's History, History Colorado and Whitney Plantation.

The exhibition is a period room installation in the dining room. The table is set for six Black women. Five of the women were enslaved at the historic Whitney plantation in Wallace, Louisiana, in the late 1800’s; their names are Lucy Clark, Francoise, Julienne, Sally, and Marie. Of these women, only Lucy Clark’s last name is known. The sixth setting is reserved for Myrtle Grant, a domestic worker who labored in this home in the 1940’s and 1950’s.

Lucy, Francoise, Julienne, Sally, Marie, and Myrtle are linked across place and time due to their roles of racialized servitude. These women ensured the comfort of those they served without experiencing such comfort themselves. As Black women, they would have been denied welcome to this historic home during its time as a residence.

The table settings carve out a place of rest and welcome for these six women, and honor their service and sacrifice. Burlap is used to represent people of color through the fabric’s resiliency and versatility. The handcrafted plates around the table feature ebony flecks representative of the African Diaspora, and are made from clay from North Carolina, a hub of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. 12 Tablecloths is named for the elaborate and labor-exhaustive daily work of setting and resetting the table for multiple 12-course meals done by enslaved women at the Whitney Plantation.

Visit the museum during open hours to view this exhibit.

1310 Bannock Street, Denver, CO, 80204

303-620-4933

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