For over twenty-three years, Professor Priest has concentrated his research and creative inquiry on Underground Railroad conductorHarriet Tubman, 

the formative years of Frederick Douglass,the institution ofslavery in Maryland, and the experiences of Freedom Seekers and theStill family.

His current work began with the systematic retracing of routes believed to have been used by Tubman to lead enslaved individuals to freedom. Throughout this journey, Professor Priest has engaged with numerous historians, genealogists, and descendants—collecting oral histories and documentary evidence while traversing Maryland, Delaware, New York, and Canada. These rigorous field investigations form the basis of an ongoing series of narrative compositions. Characterized by dynamic scale, vivid color, expressive mark-making, and intense illumination, the works powerfully evoke the emotional and historical gravity of each moment. In an ever-changing era these artworks are the chronicles of an almost silent part of history