Fletcher Williams III Transforms Salvaged Tin Roof Into Sculptures for US Semiquincentennial

Fletcher Williams III, an artist from Charleston, showcases '250 Years from Mr. Freedman,' a solo exhibition at Navy Yard Charleston in celebration of the United States' 250th anniversary. The exhibit includes sculptural wall reliefs crafted from a rusted tin roof retrieved from a burned Freedman's Cottage in Charleston in 2017. Williams employs a fictional character, Mr. Freedman, to intertwine narratives from Revolutionary War history, Black Loyalist stories, and Lowcountry folklore, featuring motifs like birds, palmetto roses, stars, and local building materials. The exhibition is open from July 5 to 14, 2026, at Storehouse 8, Suite 207, with complimentary entry Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Williams views this work as a reflection on memory and legacy, emphasizing that Black life and authorship are integral to the American narrative. He has kept the salvaged roof for nearly ten years, waiting for the semiquincentennial to inspire its use. Drawing from his own experiences with palmetto roses and historic material recovery, the Charleston native creates a visual language deeply connected to the Lowcountry.