Current Loans and Exhibitions

Curated by Leandra Juliet-Kelly, Visions: A Study of Form examines African-American artists of the 20th century and their explorations of natural and abstract forms through various media. The techniques employed by these artists demonstrate not only their mastery, but their approaches to capturing and illustrating sentiments, societal perspectives, and quotidian moments.

The exhibition brings together over 30 works from the 1930s through the 1980s, from Paul Keene’s delicate sketches and Romare Bearden’s layered depictions of Black life to colorful, emotive scenes by Ralph Chessé. Visions analyzes the forms within these works — the brush strokes, range of hues, silhouettes, and patterns — to reveal the motives and inspirations that lie beneath.

Visions: A Study of Form was organized in conjunction with Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds and Bearden/Picasso: Rhythms & Reverberations on view at the Mint Museum Uptown from February 11 through May 21, 2023.

For more information about the exhibition, visit The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture’s website.

Image: Hale A. Woodruff, “Celestial Gate,” c.1965-68, Oil on linen canvas

The premise of the exhibition “Code Number Safe [Un]Safe” is built around the concept of numbers and numeric systems holding values for safety and stability or, on the contrary- impermanence and oppression. The cohort of artists participating in the exhibition use numbers and numeric identifiers to describe personal, process and historical narratives through sculpture, painting, collage, or visual diagrams/images that symbolize spaces for realized well-being or containers of conflict. 

The group exhibition features work from the Petrucci Family Foundation by Lorna Simpson and Ed Hughes.

A more detailed description of the exhibition can be found here.

Image: Lorna Simpson, “Counting,” 1991, Photogravure with screenprint