Dear Friends,
Artists have always found ways to elevate individuals or groups of people. The politics of who to elevate and how to do it are really in focus now, with monuments to slaveholders being toppled and neighborhoods named after klansmen (finally) being changed.
In January of 2019, the Center for Visual Art mounted the exhibit Gravity of Perception. The exhibition dealt with stories that are not often told, but that we should never forget. Stories about redlining, sundown towns and the killing of unarmed black men by police. As a featured artist in that exhibition, Xaviera Simmons’s work paid tribute to Black artisans throughout history. The works included objects such as tables, bowls, and chairs wrapped in luxurious textiles like velvet and suede. The wrapping was meant as a way to cherish the objects, while acknowledging and honoring the contributions of Black artisans, which have been largely overlooked from the time of slavery into the present.
This week we will look at who our art holds in high regard, whether or not they deserve it.
We'll see you this Wednesday at 5pm on Zoom.
Much Love, Katie
PS. As always, we want to see your work! Tag CVA in your social media posts and use one, or both of these hashtags. #CVAtribute #CVACultureClub |