February 8 - May 19, 2023
From The Art Galleries at Black Studies The University of Texas at Austin:
“The University of Texas at Austin’s Art Galleries at Black Studies (AGBS) is excited to announce its spring exhibition Old Wounds, Dark Dreams. On view until May 19, 2023, the exhibition features video works by contemporary African American artists Carrie Mae Weems, Cauleen Smith, Rodney McMillian, and Charles Gaines.
Curated by Dr. Cherise Smith, Art Galleries at Black Studies (AGBS) Founding Executive Director, Old Wounds, Dark Dreams is AGBS’ first all video exhibition that opens on February 8, 2023. Gaines, McMillian, Smith, and Weems use video to meditate on anti-Black racism and the wounds it inflicts on the American psyche while participating in the tradition of appropriation: when artists quote other artists’ motifs, methods, and works to contribute new meanings to the old which, in turn, allows them to comment on, critique, or amplify the original.
As Exhibition Curator Cherise Smith remarks, “In this time when our country continues to reckon with events during which our citizens’ human rights have been abused, it is crucial to see how artists reckon with and commemorate dark episodes in our history. Weems, Gaines, Smith, and McMillian convey deep feelings, such as grief, tenderness, and longing, about U.S. history that are critical to explore.”
Commenting on the exhibition, Dean of Liberal Arts Ann Stevens says, “We are honored to show the work of the esteemed artists Carrie Mae Weems, Charles Gaines, Rodney McMillian, and Cauleen Smith—artists who are recognized for producing thought-provoking artwork that explores history, memory, and commemoration. This exhibition dovetails with the University’s Contextualization and Commemoration Initiative that explores the historic origins of the University of Texas at Austin’s buildings, landmarks, and spaces in order to learn about how ideas of race and gender are sedimented in the architecture, landscape, and layout of the campus.”
The following free programs are associated with the exhibition: Opening Reception February 9, 2023 from 5pm-7pm; Curator Gallery Tour and Talk March 2, 2023 at 12:30pm; and “Why Black Museums?” Symposium April 21, 2023 at 3pm.
About the Art Galleries at Black Studies
The University of Texas at Austin’s Art Galleries at Black Studies (AGBS) is a collecting institution whose mission is to acquire, preserve, interpret, exhibit, and otherwise make accessible modern and contemporary art and cultural materials related to the Black experience for the benefit of all audiences. Comprised of two principal galleries—Christian-Green Gallery and Idea Lab—and six project spaces, AGBS’s exhibitions and programs serve communities on and off campus and engage with the larger art worlds. AGBS’s exceptional collection—numbering nearly 1,300 objects—is the core of its identity, and it sustains and catalyzes all we do.
Founded in 2016, The University of Texas at Austin’s Art Galleries at Black Studies (AGBS) is the sole on-campus entity, at The University of Texas at Austin, dedicated to art about the Black experience. As a preeminent cultural asset of Black Studies at The University of Texas at Austin, it is a center for teaching, learning, and scholarship. AGBS serves as a forum for the creative and critical expression of artists, historians, and curators.
The University of Texas at Austin’s Art Galleries at Black Studies (AGBS) is open to all, free of charge, and is committed to fostering feelings of ownership of art and visual culture in diverse audiences. “
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