McKissick Museum showcases BBQ joints

COLUMBIA - Whether it is drizzled with mustard, drenched in sauce or soaked in vinegar, barbecue is a Southern tradition.

The University of South Carolina's McKissick Museum will celebrate this culinary favorite with the exhibition, "Barbecue Joints & The Good Folks Who Own Them," May 10-July 19.

Drawn from the companion book, "BBQ Joints: Stories and Secret Recipes from the Barbecue Belt," the exhibit will feature more than 40 original photographs by author and photographer David Gelin, who traveled from the Carolinas to Texas studying the cultural and traditional significance of barbecue.

The black-and-white and color images and text take visitors on a visual journey through the heart of barbecue country, where barbecue traditions are steeped in family and occupational lore.

"Gelin's work is not a celebration of barbecue alone: His work reaches much deeper," said Saddler Taylor, curator of folk life at McKissick. "His photography communicates the intimacy and passion shared by the people keeping these traditions vibrant and relevant."

The museum also will host a reception and gallery talk with Gelin from 5:30-7 p.m. on June 13.

McKissick has a long history of celebrating Southern culture and folk life. In 2002, the museum collaborated on the documentary, "Southern Stews." The film, directed by Stan Woodward, examined several of the South's major culinary traditions, including stew and barbecue.

The McKissick Museum Folklife Resource Center strives to preserve Southern tradition and culture not only through exhibitions and films but also through publications and demonstrations.

McKissick is located on the university's historic Horseshoe and is open to the public from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays and holidays.