A reception and talk to accompany the new exhibit “Fewer Footprints and More Tears: Commemorating the 175th Anniversary of the Trail of Tears” will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University.

Michael Abram, a scholar who focuses on Cherokee culture, will present an illustrated lecture on contemporary Cherokee artists commenting on their reactions to the Trail of Tears.

The exhibit will run through March 14. It includes historic images and copies of historic documents, including the Henderson Roll, along with contemporary art by Cherokee artists reacting to the Trail of Tears and its historic and ongoing effect on the Cherokee people.

It is on loan from the North Carolina Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association, which is dedicated to documenting all the routes and sites associated with the Trail of Tears in North Carolina.

The reception will begin at 6 p.m. with a presentation in the museum auditorium at 7 p.m. 

Free. 828.227.7129.