A special exhibit featuring works by Amanda Williams, a MacArthur Fellow, and others combines dialogue about Black identities with lessons on fine art curation.
Chicago-based artist and MacArthur Fellow Amanda Williams’ work will be featured in a Spelman College art exhibit, “We Say What Black This Is,” designed to promote racial healing and introduce students to the world of fine art curation. Credit: Courtesy of John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Overview:
Williams’ work, “What black is this you say,” was inspired in part by “Blackout Tuesday,” a 2020 social media protest against police killings of Black people. Users posted black squares to obscure social media posts and profiles. Inspired, Williams created a series of visual works to explore various themes, including Black identity and corporate participation in social media demonstratons,
In the summer of 2020, when social media users and some corporations posted black squares to protest George Floydâs murder, Amanda Williams, a Chicago-based visual artist, decided to make a different statement.
Inspired by the squares, she created a series of paintings that challenge perceptions of race and identity.
LEARN MORE: How a Jazz Club Became a Hub for Racial Healing
Five years later, Spelman College in Atlanta is using Williamsâs art, among others, for a different discussion surrounding ideas of Black identity. Last month, the collegeâs Museum of Fine Art unveiled âWe Say What Black This Is,â which not only showcases the paintings but uses them to inspire conversations about racial healing.
#SpelmanArt #RacialHealing #CommunityDialogue
