On View: ‘Get Up, Stand Up Now: Generations of Black Creative Pioneers’ at Somerset House, London
Installation view of “Get Up, Stand Up Now.” Shown, From left, Works by Yinka Shonibare and Sanford Biggers (in background). | Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Somerset House On View presents images from noteworthy exhibitions A STUNNING ARRAY of works by more than 100 artists from Britain, the United States, and beyond, is on view at...
Celebrating DC Pride, Brendan Fernandes Turns Smithsonian Atrium Into a Space for Dance, Resistance, and Resiliance
THE LIGHT-FILLED ATRIUM at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) was transformed into a dance floor on Sunday. Artist and choreographer Brendan Fernandes staged “Free Fall 49” (2017), a piece he developed in response to the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla. On June 12, 2016, a lone gunman killed 49 people and wounded...
Chakshu Patel Appointed to Top Fundraising Post at Studio Museum in Harlem
THE STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM named Chakshu Patel director of institutional advancement today. She is charged with developing a fundraising strategy to support the ambitious mission and vision of the museum, which recently celebrated 50 years by embarking on a new building project. Patel will begin her new position June 17. “I am excited to...
Portrait of ‘Imara in Her Winter Coat’ Earns Top Prize in UK Competition
A STRIKING PORTRAIT of a black woman was awarded first prize at the National Portrait Gallery in London. “Imara in Her Winter Coat” by Charlie Schaffer won the BP Portrait Award 2019. Imara’s eyes are cast downward, away from the viewer. The varied hues of her skin tone add depth to her facial features...
United Talent Agency Taps Arthur Lewis to Lead UTA Fine Arts and UTA Artist Space
UNITED TALENT AGENCY announced today that Arthur Lewis will lead the fine arts arm of the Los Angeles-based talent and entertainment firm. Lewis will serve as creative director of UTA Fine Arts and UTA Artist Space, advising visual artists represented by the agency and overseeing exhibitions, programming and partnerships through its Beverly Hills presentation and...
Leonardo Drew in New York: The Brooklyn-Based Artist Installed His First Public Art Project in Madison Square Park and is Showing New Works at Galerie Lelong
Artist Leonardo Drew in his Brooklyn studio. WORKING IN HIS UNIQUE STUDIO SPACE in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, artist Leonardo Drew simultaneously produced work for two projects. He fabricated “City in the Grass,” which features a trio of towers rising from an abstracted cityscape grounded by a massive surface resembling a topographically patterned carpet. His...
Studio Museum in Harlem Artists-in-Residence Exhibition Opens at MoMA PS1
From left, Artists Sable Elyse Smith, Allison Janae Hamilton, and Tschabalala Self THE STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM Artists-in-Residence exhibition opened Sunday at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City. Titled “MOOD,” the exhibition features 2018-19 artists Allison Janae Hamilton, Tschabalala Self, and Sable Elyse Smith. Here is how the museum describes the show: MOOD explores...
Photograph From Kitchen Table Series by Carrie Mae Weems Sets New Artist Record at Phillips Auction
A PHOTOGRAPH from Kitchen Table Series, the seminal body of work Carrie Mae Weems created in 1990, set a new artist record today. “Untitled (man smoking) from Kitchen Table Series” sold for $70,000 (including fees). The price was about twice the estimate of $25,000-$35,000. The record was set May 7 during “Artist | Icon...
58th Venice Biennale: After Co-Organizing ‘Soul of a Nation,’ Zoé Whitley Was Tapped to Curate the British Pavilion
Curator Zoé Whitley THE BRITISH PAVILION at the 58th Venice Biennale features a new body of work by Irish artist Cathy Wilkes. Conceptual and figurative sculptures, a spare selection of household objects, and abstracted landscape paintings are installed in a series of six pristine galleries flooded with natural light. She’s created narrative moments and...
58th Venice Biennale: Arthur Jafa Wins Golden Lion Award, Top Artist Prize
Arthur Jafa accepts 2019 Golden Lion in Venice. AN INTERNATIONAL JURY awarded the top artist prize at the 58th Venice Biennale to Arthur Jafa. The American artist and filmmaker won the Golden Lion recognizing the best participant in “May You Live in Interesting Times,” the international exhibition curated by Ralph Rugoff. Jafa was honored...
Latest News in African American Art: Camille Billops (1933-2019), Joe Overstreet (1933-2019)
Camille Billops (1933-2019), Joe Overstreet (1933-2019) The following review presents a snapshot of the latest news in African American art and related black culture: TWO LEGENDARY New York City artists have died. Painter Joe Overstreet passed away yesterday. He co-founded Kenkeleba House, a Lower East Side artist space in 1974. Meanwhile, Camille Billops, a singular figure...
Leah Chase, Pioneering Creole Chef and Passionate Art Collector, Has Died at 96
Chef Leah Chase (1923-2019) THE COLLECTION of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., includes portraits of America’s most iconic figures—legends of culture, politics, and history. When the most prominent among these national treasures dies, the Smithsonian museum recognizes their life and legacy by displaying their portrait in a designated In Memoriam space on...
Latest News in African American Art: Museum Staffers are Publicizing Their Salaries, Racial Profiling at MFA Boston, New Archibald Motley Painting at DIA, and More
“Café, Paris” (1929) by Archibald J. Motley Jr., at DIA The following review of the past week or so presents a snapshot of the latest news in African American art and related black culture: Museum Staffers are Sharing Their Salaries on a Google Spreadsheet Employees of museums across the country are publicizing their...
Six Decades of Color: First Major Retrospective of Frank Bowling Opens at Tate Britain in London
FROM ONE DECADE TO THE NEXT, one can never guess where Frank Bowling will take his painting. Where ever he goes, somehow it always looks like Bowling. Whether he is sewing silkscreen images of his mother’s house to canvases, stenciling silhouettes of Africa and South America against fields of color, or relying on...
