July 12 - September 14, 2024
From the Houston Museum of African American Culture:
“The Houston Museum of African American Culture is pleased to present “The Talking Back of Miss Valentine Jones,” a solo exhibition from Shavon Aja Morris, the 2024 Bert Long, Jr. Prize awardee. The exhibition will be on view from Friday, July 12 – Saturday, September 14, with an opening reception from 6-8PM on Friday, July 12. Morris was given a $3,000 cash award on April 12, and has planned a solo exhibition in the Bert Long, Jr. Gallery at HMAAC in coordination with our Chief Curator, Christopher Blay. “Winning the Bert Long Jr. Prize is an immense honor and a pivotal moment in my career as an emerging artist,” Morris stated upon winning the award last Spring. “Not only does this award provide opportunity, but it encourages me to continue exploring and pushing the boundaries of my practice.”
“Inspired by the poignant poem "The Talking Back of Miss Valentine Jones,” by June Jordan, Shavon Aja Morris presents a series of photographic collage works that repurpose found imagery to offer a renewed encounter with the Black American woman. Predominantly sourced from vintage issues of Ebony Magazine and spanning both the past and present, Morris invites us to reconsider our understanding of resilience. Additionally, she connects us to the theory of "genetic memory," a profound revelation suggesting that environmental memories persist in our genes and DNA for 14 generations.”- Shavon Aja Morris
Each Spring, HMAAC’s Chief Curator Christopher Blay brings together emerging artists for a survey exhibition from which one artist is awarded the Bert Long, Jr. Prize. The prize winner is selected by a jury of three curators including Blay. The 2024 co-jurors were Daisha Board and Dr. Phillip A. Townsend. Ms. Board is the owner and founder of Daisha Board Gallery in Dallas and Dr. Townsend is an Austin- based curator and art historian, as well as the Curator of Art at the Art Galleries at Black Studies at UT. Morris was selected from the 2024 survey exhibition, which included Omari Cato, Brian Edwards, Jr., Morgan Grisby, Justin O’Keith Higgs, ann johnson, Rosine Kouamen, Shavon Morris, Christopher Paul and Kamaria Sheppard. The visual arts landscape in Houston is thriving, and African American artists are a strong contingent whose contributions we champion here at HMAAC. Morris’ work takes its place along all the established and recognized artists in Houston and it was an honor to serve with my co-jurors in awarding her this prize as we eagerly anticipate her solo exhibition. -Christopher Blay”
Reception: July 12, 2024 | 6–8 pm
Houston Museum of African American Culture
4807 Caroline St.
Houston, TX
(713) 353-1578
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