The exhibition examines the complex place of the Bible in the life and art of African-Americans, with particular emphasis on how biblical traditions were used by artists of African descent to help cope with the life that was imposed on them in the Americas. Although the majority of the works included in the exhibition date from the 19th and 20th centuries, they often reflect the experiences of the Middle Passage and slavery, which left their indelible mark on the artistic consciousness of the African-American community.