The stories of Hannibal Square’s elders and community leaders won’t be found in most textbooks, but they can be found through portraits and oral histories shared in a new exhibition focusing on the historically Black community.
The Sage Project, an ongoing documentary collection, releases its third installment featuring 10 portraits at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center, which was established in partnership with Crealdé School of Art. Interviews compiled by historians Fairolyn Livingston and Mary Daniels add important context and history to portraits captured on medium-format film by Peter Schreyer.
“We always respected and looked up to all of our elders. That’s how we shared our history. It was sitting on the front porches with our grandparents and parents,” Livingston said. “That’s how we maintain and share that with other generations.”
“The Sage Project Phase III: Hannibal Square Elders Tell Their Stories” features 10 new portraits of longtime community residents, including historian Mary Daniels. These are on display at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center. (Courtesy Peter Schreyer)
Since 2012, the historians have worked with Schreyer, Crealdé’s former executive director, to preserve the life and legacy of 40 Hannibal Square residents who have been named as sages.
“It’s a beautiful term. I understand it means to be wise, to have been places, to have memory and to have contributed. It covers all of those things that we want to express through the portraits,” he said. “If we had not done this, those stories or their contributions to the community would not be written down anywhere. Their presence through the wonderful medium of photography would also be non-existent.”
The newest set of photographs represents the first time Livingston and Daniels are featured in their own portraits, each with their own contributed histories to share. Viewers can also see separate portraits of twins Ernest Manning and Ernestine Manning Ingram, artist Jane Lee Turner and Otelia Banks, the oldest living participant in the project, in her mid-90s.
Other sages include Martha Bryant Hall, Albert Anderson, who was born and raised in Winter Park, and Phylis Moore, the first manager of the Hannibal Square Heritage Center. As part of the project, each person photographed receives a framed archival print to keep.
“The Sage Project Phase III: Hannibal Square Elders Tell Their Stories” features 10 new portraits of longtime community residents, including Ernest Manning at Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church. These are on display at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center. (Courtesy Peter Schreyer)
The final sage is the late Minnie B. Davis, the second principal of Hannibal Square Elementary. The historic portrait of her dates back to the 1950s and was formerly displayed in the community center. A restored version of that hand-colored photograph is included with this exhibition.
As Winter Park’s west side faces encroaching development and an influx of people moving in from outside the community, the historians hope to continue highlighting the story of Hannibal Square.
“The Sage Project Phase III: Hannibal Square Elders Tell Their Stories” features 10 new portraits of longtime community residents, including Fairolyn Livingston on her front porch. These are on display at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center. (Courtesy Peter Schreyer)
“It’s more important now than ever to keep our history alive and our legacy. For such a time as this, they’ll try to erase us off the map like we don’t exist again,” Livingston said. “It’s very important for us to keep our story and our history alive.”
Emily Bourmas-Fry, the executive director and CEO of Crealdé, said she hopes this project can serve as a model for other communities to preserve their history.
“This project invites the community to see history, not through textbooks, but through the actual lived experiences of people who built the west side community, the neighborhood, and shaped its culture,” she said. “It’s storytelling that has the power to connect across generations. It inspires us to look at our own histories as well and making sure that that storytelling is passed down.”
Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com. Stay up to date with our latest travel, arts and events coverage by subscribing to our newsletters at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.
Other fall art events
“60–69: A Celebration of the 1960s!” presents a look at a defining decade in American history with a group exhibition presented by Art For All Spaces. The works of 30 artists transport visitors back in time and are on display through Oct. 12 at 39 S. Magnolia Ave. in Orlando. More information: facebook.com
“To Catch a Dream” is the title of the Florida Watercolor Society’s 54th annual exhibition, which showcases 100 watercolor works by members of the society. The exhibition is on display through Jan. 4, 2026, at 2416 N. Mills Ave. in Orlando. More information: omart.org
“Collective Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future” is the City of Orlando’s 2025 Hispanic Heritage Month exhibition at the Terrace Gallery in City Hall (400 S. Orange Ave. in Orlando. The show runs through Nov. 2. More information: orlando.gov
“Peter Schreyer: Small Stories from a Big Country” presents a four-decade retrospective of the documentary photographer’s work at Crealdé School of Art. The exhibition features 50 black-and-white prints documenting life across Central Florida, New Mexico and Switzerland. The exhibition opens during a reception from 7-9 p.m. Sept. 26 at 600 St. Andrews Blvd. in Winter Park. The works are on display through Jan. 24, 2026. More information: crealde.org
“Deconstructing Vaughn Belak” presents never-before-seen paintings by an independent artist at the Mills Gallery. The opening reception for the exhibition is at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 2. The works are on display through Oct. 25 at 1650 N. Mills Ave. in Orlando. More information: millsgalleryorlando.com
If you go
“The Sage Project Phase III: Hannibal Square Elders Tell Their Stories” opens with a free community reception from 7-9 p.m. Sept. 19 at 642 W. New England Ave. in Winter Park. The exhibition is on display through Jan. 24, 2026. More information: hannibalsquareheritagecenter.org
