On View: August 10 - September 8, 2024
Opening Reception: Sunday, August 11, 5-8 pm RSVP
Performances by award-winning pianist Robert Irving III and Chicago’s Bronzeville Diva, Senabella Gill.
- Featured Artist Cheryl R. Riley will present an installation accompanied by Robert Irving III.
- Featured Artist Tracie D. Hall will present her work titled "Good Hair" in juxtaposed conversation with Ms. Riley’s installation.
Closing Reception: Sunday, September 8th, 1-4 pm
Featuring poetry readings by local poets addressing the exhibition theme (poets TBA).
"As a curator, I believe these works not only capture the zeitgeist of our times but also contribute to a broader conversation about the complexities of freedom and social justice in today's world. By showcasing these diverse voices and narratives, 'Migrations In Black And White | 2.0' invites viewers to contemplate, question, and engage with the critical issues shaping our collective future."- Makeba Kedem-DuBose
Curator's Statement: Makeba Kedem-DuBose
The art exhibition "Migrations in Black and White | 2.0" is a bold showcase of black and white artworks. With a thematic focus on the essence of freedom, it reflects recent global events while projecting into the future. The exhibition stands out for its unique approach to color theory, allowing only black and white. This iteration rethinks the inaugural exhibition, which drew inspiration from the Great Migration and addressed the lack of visibility for South Side Chicago-based Black artists in the city's northern stretch.
While artists have creative freedom in addressing disciplines, styles, subjects, and media, the goal was to strictly use pure black and white. However, given that the overarching theme of the exhibition is freedom, I was drawn to and compelled to acknowledge artists who insisted on their right to freedom of expression or interpretation of the theme, even if it meant mildly deviating from it. Tracy D. Hall, for example, introduces textiles and hair in varying textures and shades of black and tints of white in her mixed media freestanding sculpture, "Good Hair," reflecting upon the belief that hair contains and transports energy and also serves as a conduit for intimacy and the passing of cultural memories. Ladipo Famodu's wire sculpture uses silver instead of white, suggesting they are synonymous, and cleverly introduces metallic gray to play on the theme of balance. While Cheryl R. Riley introduces sound with piano accompaniment by award-winning pianist Robert Irving III in her multimedia mural installation featuring walls covered in printed piano keys empowered with songs of freedom.
The exhibition encourages experimentation through sculptural design elements and texture. The title "Migrations in Black and White" reflects the striking graphic appearance of the works, limited to black and white, with no gray tones. While artists have creative freedom in addressing disciplines, styles, subjects, and media, they must strictly use pure black and white. The overarching theme of the exhibition is freedom, acknowledging artists who insist on their right to freedom of expression or interpretation of the theme.
Makeba Kedem-DuBose, a Chicago native, is a noted multidisciplinary artist, curator, and former arts educator. From 2014 to 2024, she directed the Chicago Global Health Alliance's creative initiatives. With a background in interior design and curatorial practices, she has showcased her work in prestigious galleries and museums worldwide for over 30 years.
In 2023, Kedem-DuBose exhibited her solo collection "Here Comes the Sun: In My Own Image" at the Forshey Gallery and participated in the Sapphire and Crystals Artist Collective's exhibition "Freedom’s Muse" at the University of Chicago’s Reva and David Logan Center. She also served as a panelist for "Devon Henry: Intersection of Public Art and Social Justice."
Scheduled for July 2024, Kedem-DuBose will present the 3-curator program "In Conversation with Dale Washington" at the Bridgeport Art Center. In August 2024, she will curate the 2nd iteration of her solo program, "Migrations in Black and White | 2.0," following an invitation from the Evanston Art Center
Her artwork was recently added to the collection of IMIP Hospital in Recife, Brazil, in 2024, underscoring her global influence. Nominated for the prestigious 3Arts Award in 2021, her work was acquired by Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, contributing to their documentation of cultural responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and movements for social justice. Throughout her career, Kedem-DuBose has maintained both independent and collective artistic pursuits, notably as a member of the Sapphire and Crystals collective.
Guest Artist Bios:
Cheryl R. Riley, New Jersey - Cheryl R. Riley is a Multi-Media Artist, Furniture Designer, and Art Advisor whose focus is artists of the Black African Diaspora. She creates wall art, installations, site-specific public artworks, and custom designs for corporate titans and celebrity clients. Her works are in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt Museum of Design, Smithsonian Museum of African American History & Culture, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA), Brooklyn Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Mint Museum of Art & Design, and Oakland Museum. Her public works include installations in the San Francisco Bayview Police Station, Sacramento Pannel Meadowview Community Center, The City University of New York, Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, among others. Cheryl has served on various museum boards and the Capp Street Project artist residency. She joined the Executive and Finance boards of the Museum of Art & Design (MAD) in New York City in 2023 for a second term. An NEA Individual Artist Grant recipient, she has participated in numerous artist residencies and will be a fellow at the Frank Lloyd Wright “The Martin House” in Buffalo, New York, in Fall 2024. Cheryl also acts as an occasional Art Advisor to celebrities and has curated collections for corporations such as BET.
Tracie D. Hall is a distinguished figure in the Chicago and international art and intellectual spheres, formerly affiliated with Rootwork Gallery in Chicago. She is a multifaceted professional, serving as a librarian, author, curator, visual artist, and staunch advocate for the arts. Halls’ artwork for Migrations 2.0 titled, "Good Hair" examines cultural heritage and identity, while reflecting upon the belief that hair contains and transports energy and serves as a conduit for intimacy and the passing of cultural memories. Hall has earned myriad awards for her contributions to the arts, education, and her community.
Featured Artists:
Mary Apikos, Pinar Aral, Sholo Beverly, Sheila Clay, Carisha Davis, Ladipo Famodu, Larissa Fardelos, Liz Gomez, Set Gozo, Felicia Grant Preston, Tracie D. Hall, Fran Joy, Pauline Kochanski, Tracy Kostenbader, Ennis Martin, Deborah Newmark, Nancy Pirri, Kat Pleviak, Adriana Poterash, Cheryl R. Riley, Marci Ruben, Cathy Schwalbe, Sung-hee Son, Stephanie Staton, Marcus Sterling-Alleye, Patricia J. Stewart, Ginny Sykes, Tamara Wasserman, Marvin Tate, Preston Thomas, Angela Williams, and FC Akuwa Xelup aka Fanta Celah.
Musicians featured in Cheryl R. Riley's multimedia performance piece; Pianist, Robert Irving III, Singer/songwriter, The Bronzeville Diva Senabella.
Jurors:
- - Curator, Makeba Kedem-DuBose
- - Lead Juror, Patricia Andrews-Keenan, CEO/Founder, Pigment Magazine
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- Ana Croegaert, Anthropologist, Independent Curator, and Research Associate with the Field Museum
- - Rosalind Cummings-Yeates, Award-winning author, journalist (arts, entertainment, travel)
- - Indira Freitas Johnson, Award-winning sculptor, curator, and peace advocate
GALLERY HOURS & VISITOR INFORMATION
This exhibition will be held in the First Floor Gallery of the Evanston Art Center (EAC). Masks are optional but strongly recommended for students, visitors, and staff.
Gallery Hours
Monday–Thursday: 9am–6pm
Friday: 9am–5pm
Saturday–Sunday: 9am–4pm
HOW TO PURCHASE ARTWORK
Artwork sale proceeds benefit both the artist and the Evanston Art Center. If you are interested in purchasing artwork on display, please contact Emma Rose Gudewicz, Director of Development and Exhibition Manager, at [email protected] or (847) 475-5300 x 102.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Artwork Pictured: Tracie D. Hall, Good Hair; Preston Thomas, Three Into The Vortex; Cheryl R. Riley, Soul Songs