Spelman College Museum of Fine Art has long been my favorite - it’s near me, free to the public, and located in a historically black neighborhood on an HBCU campus - and got me started on my art appreciation journey. This month, they’re showing Amanda Williams’ We Say What Black This Is. I’m especially excited to support a black woman artist in AEC (architecture, engineering, construction).
A trained architect and MacArthur award winner, Williams uses her background to explore systemic racism through the lens of spatial dynamics. The oil and watercolor paintings were created in response to the Blackout Tuesday social media mass posting of black squares.
“With a range of abstract paintings in the same square format as the Instagram grid, rich in texture and hue, alongside intimately scaled watercolors that incorporate handwritten notes and phrases, Williams explores cultural, social, and political dimensions of Black identity, particularly how Black spaces are formed, defined, and erased. Central to Williams’ work is the interplay between color and language. Her titles, infused with Black vernacular, forge immediate connections with Black audiences, turning colloquial expressions into tools for critiquing oppressive systems and celebrating the beauty and complexity of Blackness.”
Learn more here. Parking is in the Spelman campus garage.
This fiber art installation by Courtney Brooks was originally displayed on Art Atlanta BeltLine’s Southside Trail in 2020, highlighting the creativity, sisterhood, and significance of Black hair practices. This community hair braiding project invited Black women and girls to participate in crafting the fifteen foot long braids, and brings awareness to the CROWN Act which protects girls and women from being denied employment and educational opportunities because of their natural hair.
Learn more here. Parking is free in the Carriage Works lot across the street.
Mystic Treasures is Chaice Garner’s first solo exhibition, currently on display at Echo Contemporary Art. Her collection of ceramic pieces blend folklore, symbolism, and animal imagery with color and intricate details to tell stories about the seen and unseen. I’m looking forward to spotting symbols that have frequently appeared throughout time and place, like the blue eyes (reminds me of evil eye pendants), and the rabbit shown in the above photo (reminds me of childhood fables and the hidden meanings of Playboy).
Learn more here. Park in the lot on Echo St NW.
I’ll be back to share my thoughts.
<3 Nia