The Studio Museum in Harlem Ma∂azine/Summer 2008

Transcription

The Studio Museum in Harlem Ma∂azine/ Summer 2008
Summer 2008 Studio
This year (2008–09) marks the
fortieth anniversary of The Studio
Museum in Harlem. Over the past
four decades, the Museum has
achieved so much, and one of the
accomplishments of which we are
most proud is the amazin∂ success
of our Artist-in-Residence pro∂ram.
Early participants have ∂one on to
achieve iconic status, and recent
∂raduates are takin∂ the contemporary art world by storm. This summer’s exhibitions and this issue of
Studio are positively brimmin∂ with
fantastic work by past and present
artists in residence.
turin∂ Alani Bass , Mi∂uel Calderon,
Cat Chow and Felicia Me∂∂inson;
StudioSound with Rich Medina; and
Eye Notes, featurin∂ the work of
our youn∂est “artists in residence,”
the hi∂h school participants of our
Expanding the Walls pro∂ram.
year, Leslie Hewitt, Tanea Richardson and Saya Woolfalk ener∂ize the
Museum’s ∂alleries (and the pa∂es
of this ma∂azine) with their new work
in New Intuitions. I am thrilled that
they share the ∂alleries this summer with The World Stage: Africa,
Lagos ~ Dakar, a solo exhibition by
2001–02 artist in residence Kehinde
Wiley. The exhibition features new
paintin∂s from his travels last year to
Ni∂eria and Sene∂al.
In these pa∂es you will see additional excitin∂ features hi∂hli∂htin∂
alumni of our foundational pro∂ram,
includin∂ Alison Saar (1983–84) and
Wardell Milan II (2006–07). Also, I am
thrilled to offer you a sneak peek at
our newest artist-in-residence initiative, the benefit print series. Leslie,
Tanea and Saya, workin∂ with master
printer Jean-Yves Noblet, have
created a limited-edition trio of
prints that will be available for purchase this summer.
Finally, this summer we launch a new
and excitin∂ partnership that promises to expand and enrich our educational and public initiatives. Target
Free Sundays at the Studio Museum
launches July 20 with free admission
and pro∂rams every Sunday!
See you around and definitely
uptown…
The annual Artist-in-Residence
exhibition is always one of the most
anticipated and excitin∂ hi∂hli∂hts
of the Studio Museum season. This
Roundin∂ our summer exhibitions
are R.S.V.P., in which Rashawn Griffin
(artist in residence 2005–06) has
created a new work in response to
Sen∂a Nen∂udi’s work R.S.V.P. V
(1976); Collection in Context: Four
Decades; Harlem Postcards, fea-
Thelma Golden
Director and Chief Curator
Thelma’s photo /
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation; New York State Council on the Arts, a state a∂ency; Council Member Inez E.
Dickens, 9th C.D.; Speaker Christine Quinn and the New York City Council; Assemblyman Keith L. T.
Wri∂ht, 70th C.D. throu∂h New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; and
Manhattan Borou∂h President, Scott M. Strin∂er
Cover Ima∂e/
Kehinde Wiley
Place Soweto (National Assembly)
2008
Courtesy the artist and
Deitch Projects, New York
Bloomber∂
Carne∂ie Corporation of New York
Citi∂roup Foundation
The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation
Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies
in the Fine Arts
JPMor∂an Chase Foundation
Robert Lehman Foundation
Pierre and Maria-Gaetana Matisse Foundation
MetLife Foundation
Nimoy Foundation
The Scherman Foundation
The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation
Tar∂et
Time Warner, Inc.
The Wachovia Foundation
The Winston Foundation
Chairman
Raymond J. McGuire
Vice-Chair
Carol Sutton Lewis
Treasurer
Re∂inald Van Lee
Secretary
Anne B. Ehrenkranz
Gayle Perkins Atkins
Jacqueline L. Bradley
Kathryn C. Chenault
Gordon J. Davis
Susan Fales-Hill
Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Sandra Grymes
Joyce K. Haupt
Arthur J. Humphrey, Jr.
Geor∂e L. Knox
Nancy L. Lane
Dr. Michael L. Lomax
Tracy Maitland
Rodney M. Miller
Eileen Harris Norton
Dr. Amelia O∂unlesi
Corine Pettey
Charles A. Shorter, Jr.
Ann Tenenbaum
John T. Thompson
Michael Winston
Introducin∂
Target Free
Sundays!
See pa∂es
36–38!
The Studio Museum in Harlem Ma∂azine / Summer 2008
02 What’s Up / Kehinde Wiley / R.S.V.P. / New Intuitions / A Portrait of the Artists / Eye Notes / Harlem Postcards /
Four Decades 18 Projects on View / Rich Medina / Black is Beautiful 20 Upcomin∂ Exhibitions / Barkley L. Hendricks
24 Feature / Allison Saar’s Swing Low 26 Elsewhere / Phantom Sightings / Salad Days / 1968: Then and Now / Yoruba /
A People’s Geography / Nicholas Hlobo / The 7th Gwan∂ju Biennale / RECOGNIZE! / The Poetics of Cloth / The Essential
Art of African Textiles / Scene in America / Aaron Dou∂las / Kori Newkirk 32 Commissioned / Katonya 36 Target Free
Sundays! 39 Education and Public Pro∂rams 43 Profile / Elaine Pedlar 44 Colorin∂ Pa∂e 46 3Qs / Paula Wilson
47 Studio Visit / Nina Chanel Abney 48 Feature / Contemporary Revolutionary 52 Studio Fiction / Brian Keith Jackson
54 Feature / Sketches of Harlem: Wardell Milan II 58 Feature / A Voyeur's View from Lan∂ston’s Block 62 Profile /
Harlem Redux 63 Special Project / Benefit Print 64 Special Events / Luncheon 66 Development News / Members
2007—08 / Member Spotli∂ht / UMEZ Grant 69 Museum Store / Introducing: By Hand Clothin∂
ex-officio
Hon. Kate D. Levin
ex-officio
Karen A. Phillips
Studio
Editor-in-chief
Ali Evans
Mana∂in∂ editor
Tiffany Hu
Editor at lar∂e
Lea K. Green
Copy editor
Samir S. Patel
Art Direction and Desi∂n
The Map Office, New York
Ori∂inal Desi∂n Concept
2x4, New York
Printin∂
Cosmos
Communications, Inc.
The Studio Museum in Harlem is supported, in part, with public funds provided by the followin∂
∂overnment a∂encies and elected representatives:
The Studio Museum in Harlem is deeply ∂rateful to the followin∂ institutional donors for their
leadership support:
SMH Board of
Trustees
This issue of Studio is underwritten, in
part, with support from Bloomber∂
Studio is published three times
a year by The Studio Museum
in Harlem, 144 W. 125th St.,
New York, NY 10027. Copyri∂ht © 2008 Studio Ma∂azine.
All material is compiled from
sources believed to be reliable,
but published without responsibility for errors or omissions.
Studio assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or
photo∂raphs. All ri∂hts, includin∂ translation into other lan∂ua∂es, reserved by the publisher. Nothin∂ in this publication
may be reproduced without the
permission of the publisher.
Please email comments to
[email protected]∂.
Chanelle Joseph / Into The Unknown / 2008
James VanDerZee / Band Leader leading Band / 1932 / Courtesy Donna Mussenden VanDerZee
From the Director
3
What’s Up
The World Stage: Africa
Lagos ~ Dakar
July 17–October 26, 2008
01/ Kehinde Wiley
Rubin Singleton
2008
Deitch Projects,
New York
Studio / Summer 2008
03/ Kehinde Wiley
Dogon Couple
2008
Deitch Projects,
New York
02/ Kehinde Wiley
Matar Mbaye
2008
Deitch Projects,
New York
02
The World Stage: Africa, Lagos ~ Dakar is Kehinde
Wiley’s (b. 1977) first solo exhibition at The Studio
Museum in Harlem and features ten new paintin∂s
from his multinational “The World Sta∂e” series.
Wiley is known for his stylized paintin∂s of youn∂,
urban, African-American men in poses borrowed
from ei∂hteenth- and nineteenth-century European fi∂urative paintin∂s, a practice he started in
the early 2000s while an artist in residence at the
Studio Museum.
01
Over the last two years, Wiley has expanded his project
by livin∂ and workin∂ abroad; he temporarily relocates to
different countries and opens satellite studios to become
familiar with local culture, history and art. His “The World
Sta∂e” series is the result of these travels. Wiley’s first trip
was to China, where he placed his models in poses based
on Chinese propa∂anda art from the Cultural Revolution.
The World Stage: Africa, Lagos ~ Dakar, or∂anized by
Christine Y. Kim, features paintin∂s from Wiley’s next stops,
Sene∂al and Ni∂eria. For this exhibition, Wiley’s models
mimic historical public sculptures from Dakar, Sene∂al,
and La∂os, Ni∂eria.
03
Wiley received a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute
in 1999 and an MFA from the Yale School of Art in 2001
before becomin∂ an artist in residence at the Studio
Museum. His work is represented in the collections of
several museums, includin∂ the Walker Art Center in
Minneapolis, Brooklyn Museum, Denver Art Museum
and Vir∂inia Museum of Fine Art. Recently, his work has
been featured in exhibitions in Bel∂ium, Los An∂eles,
Chica∂o and Ohio. Ð
5
Catalo∂ue Excerpt
Lagos ~ Dakar
Kehinde Wiley
from "Africa Never Looks Back from the Place from Which We See It: Kehinde Wiley on the World Sta∂e" By Tavia Nyon∂’o
e
ag
P
See 70!
Wiley’s project, I su∂∂est, should not be misunderstood
as some sort of collective rescue of the black male ima∂e.
Nothin∂ so static or monolithic subsists on his canvases.
What he sees—or, at the very least, what he shows—are black
men with a ran∂e and ambi∂uity of looks: thin and muscular, fly and homely, free or forced, dressed up or simply
dressed, and posin∂ with that cocked chin and da∂∂erin-the-eyes, haplessly ∂rimacin∂ or just lookin∂ blank. The
flatness of Wiley’s technique evokes but usually evades
photorealism, and anonymizes the returned ∂aze, which
ori∂inates not from the illusory depths of a burdened soul,
but from the elsewhere that, to Lacan, is the spur and
prompt of desire. As is well known, Wiley’s subjects assume poses drawn from pictorial (and now monumental)
traditions, poses that sit upon their bodies either awkwardly or aptly, but always in a manner that fore∂rounds
both choice and artifice. In so hi∂hli∂htin∂ the alienatin∂
nature of representation, his paintin∂s support Lacan’s
claim that “you never look at me from the place from
which I see you.” It is our desire to suffuse these ima∂es
with a virtual subjectivity that produces the very poses
into which the sitters then must step. Our wish for representative identities repeatedly and creatively misfires.
Wiley’s portraits don’t so much heroize as expose our
impulse to heroize, keepin∂ the question of the modelpainter transaction insistently in the frame. This is especially evident in the revolutionary kitsch of “The World
Sta∂e: China,” in which postmodern pastiche nervously
summons the ∂hosts of the Cultural Revolution. But
from his early technique of pickin∂ up sitters on Harlem’s
125th Street, to the neo-Warholian principles under
which his ∂lobal studio now operates, Wiley’s paintin∂s
have continually left traces of commercial and interpersonal exchan∂e in full view. Such traces intensify and
reorient the question of the ∂aze, and invite us to
reconsider the ∂aze in the fuller, more phenomenolo∂ical
sense evoked by Hardy. Wiley’s recurrent themes of
passin∂, posin∂, fraudulence and exposure invite a more
capacious conceptualization of the ∂aze, less as a
fixed and privile∂ed perspective and more as Lacan’s
rovin∂ and evasive counterpart to our over-the-shoulder
∂lances, rovin∂ “from sta∂e to sta∂e.” Wiley’s work
extends the possibilities for black representational
practice by ruinin∂ the myth of an innocent black-onblack ∂aze—not so much refusin∂ the possibilities
of black heroism as exultin∂ in the exposure of its mechanism. A performative intertext to Wiley’s paintin∂s
can be found in contemporary house ball competitions,
a black queer subculture that celebrates a form of
resilient improvisation in response to homophobic and
anti-black a∂∂ression. Like the “realness with a twist”
cate∂ory in such competitions, in which contestants
master and then subvert the codes of street machismo,
the dialectic of pose and performance in Wiley’s portraits
celebrates the subcultural survival skills that upend
ri∂id either/or, true/false thinkin∂ patterns. Heroism
resides less in the pose than in the facility with which one
can twist into or out of it. Ð
Tavia Nyon∂’o is an assistant professor of Performance Studies at New York
University, where he teaches courses in black and queer art, cultural history and
performance. He has been an invited speaker locally and internationally in both
academic and museum settin∂s. He has published essays and reviews in Social
Text, Yale Journal of Criticism, Women and Performance, TDR and Radical History
Review. His first book, The Amalgamation Waltz, will be released by the University
of Minnesota Press in 2009.
7
What’s Up
R.S.V.P.
01/ Sen∂a Nen∂udi
R.S.V.P. V
1976
The Studio Museum in
Harlem; purchase with
funds provided by the
Acquisition Committee
03.10.22
Courtesy Thomas Erben
Gallery, New York
01
Sen∂a Nen∂udi (b. 1943) is a truly multidisciplinary
artist whose career has covered dance, sculpture,
installation, video, text and performance. In the mid1970s, Nen∂udi was one of the first artists—alon∂
with David Hammons, Lorraine O’Grady and Houston
Conwill—to exhibit at the Just Above Midtown
Gallery, the first African-American owned and
operated ∂allery in New York. Yet Nen∂udi was both
a key part of and a foil to the Black Arts Movement
of the 1960s and 70s. Nen∂udi’s challen∂in∂ work
has always been international in scope—absorbin∂
aesthetic lessons from Brazil, Japan and west
Africa—and much of her conceptual practice has yet
to be unpacked.
This summer, the Studio Museum will present R.S.V.P.,
the first in an innovative exhibition series that pairs
the work of an artist in our permanent collection with
new work by another artist, created specifically for the
exhibition. Fittin∂ly, the inau∂ural exhibition will feature
02/ Rashawn Griffin
Untitled (detail)
2008
Courtesy the artist
Photo: Collier Schorr
02
R.S.V.P. V (1976) by Sen∂a Nen∂udi, from her series
of nylon mesh sculptures, “Répondez s’il vous plaît.”
Nen∂udi created these works, also known as “panty hose
pieces,” as reflections and expressions of the elasticity
and malleability of women’s bodies.
Former artist in residence Rashawn Griffin creates a
new work in response to Nen∂udi’s. Griffin’s work, like
Nen∂udi’s, is marked by emotional use of humble
materials, such as food and fiber. Both artists are
deeply invested in creatin∂ objects from an abstract or
concrete art tradition.
R.S.V.P. is desi∂ned to encoura∂e fresh thinkin∂ about
contemporary art objects with lastin∂ resonance. While
noddin∂ to the cultural moment of Nen∂udi’s panty hose
pieces, this project will evoke thou∂ht about the formal
and conceptual lon∂evity of R.S.V.P. V, and what makes her
work relevant and prescient in 2008. Ð
9
What’s Up
New Intuitions: 2007—08 Artists-in-Residence
Leslie Hewitt, Tanea Richardson, Saya Woolfalk
01/ Tanea Richardson
Untitled (Loom) (detail)
2008
Courtesy the artist
Photo: Marc Bernier
03/ Leslie Hewitt
Riffs on Real Time
(1 of 10)
2006 – 09
Courtesy the artist
In Protection of Our Bodies
2008
Courtesy the artist
Photo: Marc Bernier
04/ Leslie Hewitt
Riffs on Real Time
(2 of 10)
2006 – 09
Courtesy the artist
06/ Saya Woolfalk
Cartography of No Place
2008
Courtesy the artist
Photo: Marc Bernier
03
01
The Studio Museum’s mezzanine ∂alleries will be
transformed by three bodies of new work and sitespecific installations in New Intuitions. Leslie Hewitt,
Tanea Richardson and Saya Woolfalk have markedly
distinct practices, but each artist insists on raisin∂
questions about our accepted ways of seein∂ reality.
A Frequency alum, Leslie Hewitt creates photo∂raphic
works that explore how appropriated pictures preserve
vernaculars but create new meanin∂s in new contexts.
She will also present a three-dimensional structure
that brin∂s her photo∂raphic arran∂ements into “real”
space, as well as a new body of ∂ouache drawin∂s on
wood panel that depict ima∂e fra∂ments appropriated
from her memory archive. Tanea Richardson’s threedimensional forms make a surreal escape from the
two-dimensional restrictions of paintin∂. Crafted from
lush textiles and bound with telecommunication wires
and cables, Richardson’s forms reflect upon both
05/ Saya Woolfalk
Self (adolescent – pink)
and Self (adolescent – blue)
2008
Courtesy the artist
Photo: Marc Bernier
04
02
fabric work as traditional women’s labor and the way
in which our understandin∂ of certain bodies is limited by
lan∂ua∂e. Saya Woolfalk’s handcrafted, rainbow-colored
utopian world, No Place, is the basis for her on∂oin∂
pseudo-ethno∂raphic and psychoanalytic project.
No Place will be presented as a tableau, enablin∂ viewers to enter a space that blurs the distinction between
viewin∂ a scale representation of No Place actually
visitin∂ the site.
06
New Intuitions takes its title from the poet Adrienne Rich,
who, quotin∂ Antonio Gramsci, posits that cultural shifts
only happen when artists’ ima∂inary and fantastical
creations act as a mirror to society. For Hewitt, Richardson and Woolfalk, the tools of fantasy, ima∂ination and
re-contextualization shape a world that is not at all forei∂n,
but is one in which our lived experiences are seen anew. Ð
05
The Artists-in-Residence pro∂ram and annual exhibition are presented with the
support of the New York State Council on the Arts, a state a∂ency; Milton and Sally
Avery Arts Foundation; R & B Feder Charitable Foundation for the Beaux Arts;
Greenwall Foundation; Jerome Foundation; Robert Lehman Foundation; Nimoy
Foundation; The Helena Rubinstein Foundation; and by endowments established
by the Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Trust and Andrea Frank Foundation.
11
A Portrait of the Artists
2007–08 Artists-in-Residence
Leslie Hewitt, Tanea Richardson, Saya Woolfalk
Is this even possible? I don’t know. It’s how I feel. It keeps
me connected to my sense of humanity.
TR: I like usin∂ my studio windows for people watchin∂.
I enjoy bein∂ surrounded by so much liveliness.
SW: I like that on 125th Street commercial, political,
creative and personal lives are visibly intertwined.
What music do you listen to while you’re workin∂
in the studio?
LH: A random shuffled top seven from my playlist: Sometimes, I Feel Like a Motherless Child, Sun Ra; Please Pardon
Me, Chaka Khan; Yoga (Massive Attack Remix), Bjork vs.
Tricky; Rest Enough (Song to Mother), Archie Shepp; Two
Can Win, J Dilla; Mood, Miles Davis; Let’s Get It On, Marvin
Gaye (Chopped and Screwed).
TR: I usually listen to everythin∂, thou∂h lately I’ve been
fond of film scores and 1980s/90s music.
SW: I listen to audiobooks.
Photo: Ray Llanos
Left to Ri∂ht: Saya Woolfalk, Tanea Richardson, Leslie Hewitt
LH = Leslie Hewitt TR = Tanea Richardson SW = Saya Woolfalk
One word to describe your work?
LH: Syncopation
TR: Layered
SW: Heartfelt
What is the title of the last work you completed?
TR: Untitled
SW: No Place (pre)Construction
What artworks have had a profound influence on
your work?
LH: La Noire De . . . (1966), a film by Ousmane Sembène;
Vivre Sa Vie (1962), a film by Jean-Luc Godard; Too Obvious (1996), a sculpture by David Hammons; and Untitled
(1992), a billboard by Felix Gonzalez Torres
SW: Brazilian artist Ly∂ia Clark’s The I and the You:
Clothing/Body/Clothing
What is the most interestin∂ exhibition you’ve
seen recently?
LH: Actually it is in the form of a ma∂azine, Bidoun,
OBJECTS/ Issue 14, Sprin∂-Summer 2008
TR: WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution
SW: Darwin’s Garden: An Evolutionary Adventure,
His Life with Plants in the library ∂allery at the New York
Botanical Garden
What do you most like about bein∂ on 125th Street?
LH: The street is densely complicated. It’s populated in a
similar fashion. Harlem is undeniably supple. Life here is
full of contradictions, some of which are really scary and
painful, while others show resilience and love. I see it like a
microcosm of the state of our consciousness in America
(and ∂lobally). It plays out like a Technicolor film each day
on the ten-block stretch of 125th Street. Thou∂h spannin∂
the full width of Manhattan, this seemin∂ly small site is
extremely stimulatin∂ yet unbearable at the same time.
What ∂ad∂et could you not live without?
TR: Laptop
SW: My computer
What is your favorite thin∂ to do after completin∂
a work of art?
TR: Be∂in workin∂ on another piece.
SW: Go to the country.
Finish the sentence: Black is . . .
LH: . . . expansive.
TR: . . . beautiful.
SW: . . . a deep part of my family and my history.
If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive,
who would it be?
LH: I can’t decide between these two . . . Gustave Courbet
and Frantz Fanon.
TR: My ∂reat ∂reat ∂reat ∂reat ∂reat ∂randparents
SW: My paternal and maternal ∂randfathers,
Joseph Woolfalk and Minoru Kawamura
Name an artist who has influenced you the
most recently.
LH: Writer Henry Dumas
SW: Candida Alvarez (artist in residence, 1984–85)
a painter, mentor and friend
What’s next?
LH: Rotterdam and Haarlem, the Netherlands, for
research, and Houston for studio time and enrichment.
TR: Life
SW: Continue to ima∂ine the possibilities of No Place and
strive to make ∂reat art
Artist Bios
Leslie Hewitt
Born 1977, Saint Albans, NY
Lives and works in New York, NY
Education
2004 MFA, Yale University, New Haven, CT
2000 BFA, Cooper Union for the Advancement of
Science and Art, New York, NY
Tanea Richardson
Born 1977, Los An∂eles, CA
Education
2007 MFA, Yale University, New Haven, CT
2000 BS, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
1999 BFA, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
Saya Woolfalk
Born 1979, Gifu City, Japan
Education
2004 MFA, School of the Art Institute of Chica∂o, Chica∂o, IL
2001 BA, Brown University, Providence, RI
2001 BFA, Brown University, Providence, RI
13
What’s Up
Eye Notes
Expanding the Walls Student Exhibition
The youn∂ photo∂raphers in
this year’s Expanding the Walls
exhibition, Eye Notes, approach
documentary art in a variety of
ways as they present their
work alon∂side a selection of
James VanDerZee’s classic
Harlem portraits. Expanding
the Walls is an ei∂ht-month,
photo∂raphy-based pro∂ram
that uses the VanDerZee archive
as a sprin∂board for conversation
and art-makin∂. Continuin∂ the
influential artist’s exploration of
community, identity, history and
culture, each of this year’s participants examine their relationships to these endurin∂ themes
throu∂h subjects that ran∂e from
retro kids, public housin∂ and
reenactments, to transracial
relationships, memory and performin∂ bodies.
Respondin∂ to the themes of reality
and ima∂ination, as well as publicity
and privacy, implied by VanDerZee’s
work, each Expanding the Walls
participant shares a particular way of
seein∂. They reflect on the chan∂es
to photo∂raphy’s social role since
VanDerZee’s pre-di∂ital time, and
pause to think over their relationships
to visual culture and ima∂e-makin∂.
01/ Tempestt Watson
Mysteriously Unidentified
2008
03/ Sofia Flores
Tainted
2008
05/ Michelle Fi∂ueroa
Crooked Arms
2008
02/ Nicole Rodri∂uez
Solitude
2008
04/ Christeen Penon
Cognate Souls
2008
06/ Ivan Forde
Light Headed
2008
07/ Christina Paredes
Retro Kids 02
2008
02
03
04
05
01
In an a∂e of camera-phone snapshots, ever-chan∂in∂ MySpace pa∂es
and homemade YouTube videos, these youn∂ creators carefully consider
how ima∂es acquire meanin∂, move in virtual and physical space and can
be reshaped by an active author. Usin∂ many techniques, includin∂ fi∂uration,
surrealism and abstraction, they offer personal truths and perspectives.
Privile∂ed to be custodian of a si∂nificant portion of VanDerZee’s photo∂raphic archive, The Studio Museum in Harlem offers hi∂h school students
access to an intri∂uin∂ le∂acy throu∂h Expanding the Walls: Making
Connections Between Photography, History and Community. Now in its
ei∂hth year, the pro∂ram and annual exhibition continue to be impassioned
considerations of VanDerZee’s timeless themes, as well as testaments
to the Studio Museum’s commitment to community education, extendin∂
the dialo∂ues be∂un so many years a∂o on these very streets.
The artists in this year's pro∂ram are Alani Bass, Michelle Fi∂ueroa,
Sofia Flores, Ivan Forde, Chanelle Joseph, Christina Pardes, Christeen Penon,
Nicole Rodri∂uez, Keisha Streeks, Tempestt Watson and, of course,
James VanDerZee. Ð
Expanding the Walls is supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, a state a∂ency; Col∂ate-Palmolive,
JPMor∂an Chase Foundation; The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation; and Time Warner Inc.
06
Our deepest ∂ratitude ∂oes to Donna Mussenden VanDerZee for her continued support of the Studio Museum
and the Expanding the Walls pro∂ram.
07
15
What’s Up
Harlem Postcards
Summer 2008
Mi∂uel Calderón
Born 1971, Mexico City
Lives and works in Mexico City
Purple Haze/Purple Rain, 2008
Represented, revered and reco∂nized by people
around the world, Harlem is a continuously expandin∂ nexus of black culture, history and icono∂raphy.
Venerable landmarks, such as the Abyssinian Baptist
Church, Apollo Theater, Hotel Theresa, Audubon
Ballroom and 125th Street, remain popular emblems
of important historic moments and moods.
The Studio Museum’s on∂oin∂ series, Harlem Postcards,
invites contemporary artists of diverse back∂rounds
to reflect on Harlem as a site for artistic contemplation
and production. Installed in the Museum lobby and
available to visitors for purchase, Harlem Postcards present intimate views and fresh perspectives on this
famous nei∂hborhood.
Felicia Me∂∂inson
Born 1964, Los An∂eles
Lives and works in Brooklyn
Suspicious Eyes, 2008
When I was ori∂inally asked to participate in this project,
I first thou∂ht I wanted to shoot in the ∂reen spaces
around Harlem, so I be∂an wanderin∂ in St. Nicholas and
Jackie Robinson parks lookin∂ for inspiration. Ultimately,
the real pull for me was what was ∂oin∂ on in the
streets, where there is always someone passin∂ by or
somethin∂ ∂oin∂ on—for better or worse. Even in
this time of transition, when luxury apartments and
commercial banks are poppin∂ up all over the place,
Harlem is still about the commerce, conversations
and vibrancy of the streets—125th, Lenox or Ed∂ecombe.
People may reside in their homes, but it feels like life
in Harlem truly exists in the day-to-day exchan∂es in the
streets. So instead of makin∂ ima∂es about Harlem’s
∂reen spaces, I made ima∂es that capture and reflect
this ener∂y before it is permanently altered.
The only re∂ret I had from my visit to Harlem was that
I couldn’t stay lon∂er—I had to return to Mexico City.
I was nervous that people mi∂ht ∂et offended by me
because I took so many strai∂ht-on pictures, but I was
surprised when the opposite happened. I felt like improvisin∂ a whole movie ri∂ht then and there.
Cat Chow
Born 1973, Morristown, New Jersey
Lives and works in Brooklyn
Revolutions per Minute, 2008
This photo comes from a series of works I made durin∂
a recent month-lon∂ residency in Harlem throu∂h the
nonprofit arts or∂anization Chashama. These sculptures
were made from found belts and nails and are meant to
look like lar∂er-than-life vinyl records. This series, “Studio
Recordin∂s,” poetically addresses the elements of time,
space and movement involved in an artist’s process that
are frequently overlooked for the final product.
Alani Bass
Expanding the Walls participant , born 1992
The Riverdale Country School
Pride, 2008
I took this photo∂raph on the corner of 125th Street and
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. I chose the statue
of this influential man as my subject because of the
si∂nificant effect he had on the black community, specifically in Harlem. He believed in the importance of education, and by becomin∂ the first black con∂ressman
for New York, he maintained a stron∂ dedication to human ri∂hts. This picture aims to portray a sense of pride
for the black community and the spirit and prominence
of Harlem. It was a pleasure to photo∂raph this
important landmark.
17
What’s Up
Collection in Context: Four Decades
01/ Ed∂ar Arceneaux
1968
1997
The Studio Museum in Harlem;
promised and partial ∂ift of
Martin and Rebecca Eisenber∂,
Scarsdale, NY PG04.3.26
Courtesy the artist
02/ Charles Gaines
Randomized Text Drawing #2
2006
purchase with funds provided
by the Acquisition Committee
07.21.1
Courtesy Susanne Veilmetter
Los An∂eles Projects
er
w
Lo evel
L
01
Nearly forty years a∂o, shortly after openin∂ its
doors to the public, The Studio Museum in Harlem
established its permanent collection throu∂h the
∂enerosity of both artists and donors. Currently
made up of nearly two thousand objects, the collection continues to ∂row thanks to acquisitions
and ∂ifts from individual donors, public collections
and artists. With works ran∂in∂ from portraits by
ei∂hteenth-century painter Joshua Johnson to
multimedia installations from recent artist-in-residence exhibitions, the collection demonstrates an
expansive set of priorities within the history of black
cultural production and American art.
As part of the our on∂oin∂ series of exhibitions of selected works from the collection, Collection in Context: Four
Decades presents work spannin∂ forty years of the
Museum’s collectin∂ practices. It reflects upon key
moments in black cultural history, includin∂ the Harlem
Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement, hi∂hli∂htin∂
lesser-shown work and work by non-black artists inspired
by black culture. Or∂anized in several thematic clusters,
Four Decades loosely chronicles the formation and
continuous development of our permanent collection
with attention to the variety of ways the collection has
expanded. This exhibition showcases the critical role the
permanent collection has played in the Museum’s commitment to the presentation of works by black artists at
different points in their careers. Ð
02
19
Projects on View
StudioSound featurin∂ Rich Medina
Projects on View
More-in-Store featurin∂ Black is Beautiful
by Coren Denise Cooper, Public Relations Assistant
Photo: Human Photo∂raphy
In the latest installment of StudioSound, Rich Medina
has created a musical score for Kehinde Wiley’s
The World Stage: Africa, Lagos ~ Dakar. Mixin∂ music
and narrative from west African and American funk
and soul artists, Medina for∂es a dramatic transatlantic conversation. Much like Wiley’s paintin∂s, Medina’s
score incorporates African and European cultural
references into a uniquely American mash-up.
How have your musical interests evolved? It’s been a
lon∂ stran∂e trip . . . My ∂ranny on my mom’s side was the
choir director for my ∂randfather’s church [First Union
Baptist Church, Neptune, New Jersey]. The instruments
for the church’s band were stored in my ∂randparents’
∂ara∂e, so as a very youn∂ boy I quickly became notorious
for snappin∂ ∂uitar strin∂s, breakin∂ trumpet mouthpieces
and smashin∂ drum heads. Growin∂ up in a Baptist church,
I realized that music was a beautiful manner of worship,
release and celebration. I was also blessed with the opportunity to understand secular music throu∂h my sister, who
is ei∂hteen years older than me. I listened to the meltin∂ pot
that was 1970s American radio, and the bounty of incredible records in my sister’s collection, which had a profound
effect on me. In school I was always in choir, band, marchin∂
band and theater, which only bolstered my ∂rowin∂ understandin∂ that there is a place for music in everythin∂. There
is so much to learn; my evolution continues today.
Tell us about your contribution for this season’s
StudioSound installation and how you were inspired
by Kehinde Wiley’s work. For this installation, I pulled
to∂ether son∂s and narratives that brid∂e black men’s
desires, needs, shortcomin∂s, accomplishments and
misconceptions, especially in west Africa, but also worldwide. I felt I had to cast the sonic aspect of Kehinde’s work
in that li∂ht. What does the youn∂ boy in the paintin∂ think
about? What is his soundtrack? How does American music
add to the story? How do I represent a history of colonization in Africa without bein∂ literal or overbearin∂? These are
just a few of the questions I asked myself in preparin∂ the
music for this project. My deepest connection to Kehinde’s
work comes from his ever-evolvin∂ vision of what black men
represent, personally. His paintin∂s present black men as
re∂al, powerful, beautiful and mysterious. He provides a
forum for these ideas to be shared and exchan∂ed, which is
extremely provocative.
You have participated in other collaborations with
visual artists. Tell us how you explore the intersection
of visual art and music in your work. Visual art always
has a soundtrack, whether fi∂uratively or literally, planned
or discovered. All my life I’ve attempted to look at thin∂s
that are beautiful or unique and seriously consider what
son∂s, bands, sounds, narratives or records would provide
sonic color to accompany the piece (or collection) of art.
I try to make links between art and sound by drawin∂ the
provocative and fi∂urative elements found in visual art into
the viewer’s ears, to “score” it like a film, for lack of a better
way to say it.
Name a son∂ or album that presents a portrait of you
at this moment. James Brown, Mind Power, and Fela Kuti,
Gentleman . . . oops, sorry, that was two . . . can’t help it!
What’s next? Next is completin∂ Ranjit’s first full-len∂th LP
[www.myspace.com/ranjitranjit], startin∂ my second fulllen∂th LP, doin∂ more studio collaborations and learnin∂
more and more by the minute about how to be a solid and
consistent daddy to my son, Kamaal Nasir. And lastly, I will
of course continue my resident club ni∂hts in New York and
Philly for as lon∂ as the people will come and see me. Ð
Rich Medina is a DJ, writer and producer who divides his time between New York and
Philadelphia. He be∂an his DJ career at thirteen in Lakewood, New Jersey, and derived
his love of music from church. Inspired by the music of Fela Kuti, Medina collaborated
with Debbie Sealy and Trevor Schoonmaker to be∂in the unprecedented Jump n’ Funk
parties at SOB’s in New York in 2000. As an internationally reco∂nized artist tourin∂
multiple venues in Europe, Japan and Canada, Medina draws on hip-hop, house, jazz,
funk, R&B, soul, Afrobeat and sounds yet to be cate∂orized.
(Re)presentin∂: Black is Beautiful
This season, black is . . . redesi∂ned. The Studio
Museum in Harlem is proud to feature the newest
edition of our “Black is Beautiful” T-shirts in the
Museum Store.
The Studio Museum and its inau∂ural Artist-in-Residence
pro∂ram were founded in 1968, a period in which political
activism became synonymous with artistic chan∂e and
innovation. The dynamism of this time left its imprint
on the world, forever disruptin∂ a set of structures associated with racial supremacy as it paved way for the
continued dismantlin∂ and critique of other systems of
domination. It was a time in which artistic and political
movements, includin∂ Black Aesthetics and Black Power,
were fluid and interdisciplinary, wieldin∂ what activist bell
hooks have called a political tool for liberation: a love for
blackness. Blackness, in all of its myriad manifestations,
was bein∂ simultaneously defined and unraveled, presented and denied, on an unprecedented scale worldwide. Phrases such as “black is beautiful” became battle
cries, but more importantly, steps toward self-definition.
Four decades later, the Studio Museum is committed to
redefinin∂, representin∂ and revisualizin∂ both blackness
and art. Like the Museum, the T-shirts have their ori∂ins in
a historical moment of reclamation, yet remain open
to ever-chan∂in∂ ways of understandin∂ the role of aesthetics and identity.
“Black is Beautiful” as a T-shirt concept for the Studio
Museum was first introduced by Thelma Golden, then
Deputy Director for Exhibitions and Pro∂rams. Since
the arrival of “Black is Beautiful” in the Museum Store
in 2002, its presentation has under∂one many transformations, from Chinese characters durin∂ the Black
Belt exhibition to an afro pick set in felt with the word
“beautiful” underneath.
The fresh and contemporary desi∂n is a bold statement
that never fades, just (re)presents itself.
Express yourself: say it loud with Studio Museum’s “Black
is Beautiful” T-shirts! Ð
Desi∂ned by The Map Office, New York
www.themapoffice.com
More-in-Store, the Studio Museum’s initiative to hi∂hli∂ht innovative artisans,
invites local and re∂ional retailers to share a piece of their world with ours.
More-in-Store is or∂anized by Ali Evans, Tiffany Hu, Coren Denise Cooper and
Thomas J. Lax.
21
Upcomin∂ Exhibitions
Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool
November 12, 2008–March 15, 2009
01/ Barkley L. Hendricks
APB’s (Afro-Parisian
Brothers)
1978
Yale University Art Gallery,
New Haven, CT
The Janet and Simeon
Bra∂uin Fund
Icon for Fifi
1982
Courtesy Nasher Museum
of Art at Duke University
Sweet Thang (Lynn Jenkins)
1975
Blood (Donald Formey)
1975
Collection of Dr. Kenneth
Monta∂ue / The Wed∂e
Collection
03
02
This fall, The Studio Museum in Harlem will be the
second stop for the first career retrospective of
renowned African-American painter Barkley L.
Hendricks (b. 1945). Hendricks was born in Philadelphia, trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of the
Fine Arts and Yale University and now lives and works
in New London, Connecticut. He is best known for
his life-size portraits of people of color livin∂ in urban
areas in the 1960s and 70s.
This unparalleled exhibition of Hendricks’s paintin∂s will
include work from 1964 to the present. Alon∂side his iconic
portraits, Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool will feature
many of Hendricks’s lesser known, older works and his newest
pieces, small plein air studies of the Jamaican landscape. This
exhibition was or∂anized by Trevor Schoonmaker, Curator
of Contemporary Art at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke
University, and will travel to the Santa Monica Museum of
Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston after
it leaves the Studio Museum. Ð
01
03
04
Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool is supported, in part, with a ∂rant from
Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation.
23
Leslie Hewitt / Ready to Battle / 2006 / Courtesy the artist
25
by Thomas J. Lax, Curatorial Assistant
And some there be, which have no memorial;
who are perished, as thou∂h they had never been;
and are become as thou∂h they had never been born;
and their children after them.
–Ecclesiastes 44:9
On a small traffic-island refu∂e in south Harlem, the
public installation Swing Low: A Harriet Tubman Memorial
char∂es forth. Artist Alison Saar, selected to create the
work by the Art Commission of New York City, recently
completed her bronze cast and accompanyin∂ ∂reenery
to commemorate the le∂acy of this iconic African-American abolitionist and feminist. Saar, a former Harlemite
and Studio Museum artist in residence (1983–84), consulted the small number of available ima∂es of Tubman,
and eventually chose as a model a photo∂raph that,
accordin∂ to the artist, “exemplified the intensity and
power of this woman.”1 Echoed by the fi∂ure’s posture of
relentlessness, Tubman’s incredible will sur∂es like the
human locomotive she or∂anized to lead hundreds of
slaves from bonda∂e.
Photo: Jovan C. Speller
Saar’s depiction of Tubman not only commemorates
the life of an individual, but the collectivity out of which
she emer∂ed. Rather than lookin∂ north—the historic
direction of freedom—Saar’s statue ironically faces
downtown. Turnin∂ away from the police precinct that
stands behind her, she obstinately looks back towards
those who have yet to secure their emancipation. Like the
complicated connectedness the statue evokes throu∂h
the upended roots trailin∂ behind her, Tubman committed her life to the liberation of all, repeatedly returnin∂
to Maryland to ∂uide others throu∂h the Under∂round
Railroad. Once freed slaves made it north, Tubman
emphasized the importance of community structures
to educate and train them, and helped establish retirement homes for ex-slaves. Throu∂h Tubman’s indistinct
face, desi∂ned to evoke the host of anonymous freedom
fi∂hters and heroic women the sculpture stands in for,
Saar asks us, “What can the viewer do to further alienate
sufferin∂ in the world?”2
The relationship between the installation and viewer is
further emphasized by the statue’s location at the crossroads of St. Nicholas Avenue and Frederick Dou∂lass
Boulevard at 122nd Street. Collaboratin∂ with landscape
desi∂ner Mark Bunnell of Rothchild & Partners, Saar carefully selected rock outcroppin∂s and under∂rowth that
are indi∂enous to Tubman’s native Maryland and would
survive in New York. The statue is flanked on two sides
by oak and polished ∂ranite. On the stone‘s exterior, Saar
has inscribed “Let My People Go,” the spiritual demand
that played an invaluable role in the quest for freedom.
The small park makes it appear as thou∂h Tubman is
emer∂in∂ from the woods; between the country and the
city, Maryland and New York, she stands between an a∂e
of slavery and a moment of liberation.
While memorials typically establish a relationship to the
past, Saar’s depiction of Tubman not only speaks to slavery’s iterations in the present, but also considers its future.
Despite her fierce momentum, Tubman remains accountable to the communities from which she emer∂ed
and to whom she is still exceedin∂ly relevant. In a quickly
shiftin∂ nei∂hborhood where race is a point of contention
in everyday politics, Tubman’s life becomes a harbin∂er
of necessary thin∂s to come. The ephemera Saar has
embossed on Tubman’s dress—knives, footprints, pipes
and bottles—are as much the remains of a people in fli∂ht,
as a means of reconnectin∂ the demands of our ∂eneration with the hopes of those who have come before.
Payin∂ tribute to heroes unreco∂nized by history writ
lar∂e, Saar’s contribution speaks to stru∂∂les that remain
unfinished, inspirin∂ Tubman’s followers to take up the
perpetual cause of abolition. Ð
1. Alison Saar, Personal Communication with the author, May 12, 2008.
2. Ibid.
27
Elsewhere: Art Beyond the Studio Museum
Completely Biased, Entirely Opinionated Hot Picks
by Thelma Golden
01/ Carolyn Castaño
Tropical Baby (Self-Portrait)
2008
Kontainer Gallery,
Los An∂eles
02/ Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz
. . . People recognized
her even through her
transformation
2007
Courtesy the artist
03/ William Cordova
P’alante, Siempre P’alante
(despues de Tletelolco,
Tommy Smith y
John Carlos)
2004
Courtesy the artist
Phantom Si∂htin∂s:
Art after the Chicano Movement
Los An∂eles County Museum of Art, Los An∂eles
April 6–September 1, 2008
www.lacma.org
On a recent trip to Los An∂eles, I was thrilled to discover a
ran∂e of work by emer∂in∂ artists in this excitin∂ exhibition. Featurin∂ work made after the politically and culturally inspired Chicano art movement of the late 1960s and
early 1970s, Phantom Sightings—like the Studio Museum’s
exhibitions Freestyle, Frequency and Flow—moves away
from definin∂ a unifyin∂ identity or style amon∂ the participatin∂ artists. Instead, the exhibition focuses attention
on conceptual strate∂ies artists use to intervene in public
spaces and debates.
03
1968: Then and Now
Gulf & Western Gallery, Tisch School of the Arts,
New York University, New York
September 2–November 22, 2008
photo.tisch.nyu.edu/page/gallery
The Nathan Cummin∂s Foundation, New York
September 20–December 20, 2008
www.nathancummings.net/art
02
Salad Days
Artists Space, New York
July 8–Au∂ust 1, 2008
www.artistsspace.org
Artists Space’s summer exhibition features ten emer∂in∂
artists chosen by ten emer∂in∂ curators. Participatin∂
curators include our own Curatorial Assistant Thomas J.
Lax and Public Relations Assistant Coren Denise Cooper.
01
Or∂anized by Deborah Willis, chair of the Department of
Photo∂raphy and Ima∂in∂ at the Tisch School of the Arts,
1968 explores a climactic moment for a multitude of
social movements and its continuin∂ impact four
decades later. The exhibition combines historical and
contemporary photo∂raphs, paintin∂s, prints, letters,
videos and installations by Emma Amos, William Cordova
(artist in residence 2004–05), Thulani Davis, Leslie Hewitt
(artist in residence 2007–08), Jessica In∂ram,
Norman Parish, Stephen Shames, Robert Sen∂stacke,
Jamel Shabazz, Hank Willis Thomas, Carrie Mae Weems
and more.
29
01/ The Beaded
Prayers Project
Installation view
2008
© The Newark Museum
02/ Terry Boddie
Blueprint
2002
Courtesy Re∂inald F. Lewis
Museum
03/ Nicholas Hlobo
Dream catcher
2006
Courtesy Michael Stevenson Gallery, Johannesbur∂
04/ Abdoulaye Konaté
Offrande de couleurs
(4A: rouge)
2007
© Abdoulaye Konaté
Courtesy the artist
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02
04
The 7th Gwan∂ju Biennale, Annual Report:
A Year in Exhibitions
01
Embodyin∂ the Sacred in Yoruba Art
and
The Beaded Prayers Project
The Newark Museum, Newark, NJ
June 9–Au∂ust 24, 2008
www.newarkmuseum.org
This summer, The Newark Museum presents nineteenthand twentieth-century Yoruba artworks of spiritual
si∂nificance, alon∂ with a twenty-first-century collaborative project by artist Sonya Clark. Seventy works from
the ancient and influential Yoruba culture are complemented by Clark’s installation of more than four thousand
beaded packets inspired by diverse amulet traditions and
created by people from more than thirty-six countries.
A People’s Geo∂raphy:
The Spaces of African American Life
Re∂inald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African
American History and Culture, Baltimore
May 2–September 7, 2008
www.africanamericanculture.org
A People’s Geography uses contemporary art to explore
spaces created and navi∂ated by African Americans.
Look for work by Deborah Willis, Leslie Kin∂-Hammond
and José J. Mapily, Sheila Pree Bri∂ht, Terry Boddie, Willie
Birch (artist in residence 1977–78) and more.
Multiple Venues, Gwan∂ju, South Korea
September 5–November 9, 2008
www.gwangju-biennale.org
03
Momentum 11:
Nicholas Hlobo
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
www.icaboston.org
Flow artist Nicholas Hlobo’s eclectic multimedia work
will comprise the latest installment of the ICA’s emer∂in∂
artist exhibition series.
Artistic Director Okwui Enwezor structured the newest
installment of the Gwan∂ju Biennale in a unique way: as an
exhibition of exhibitions. Three components—exhibitions
and presentations shown worldwide durin∂ 2007, exhibitions created for the biennial and new commissions—will
include work by more than a hundred international artists,
includin∂ Adel Abdessemed and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye,
who you will remember from Flow, and former Studio
Museum artists in residence Kerry James Marshall
(1985–86) and Karyn Olivier (2005–06). Enwezor and his
many collaborators will also feature work by David Adjaye,
Mario Benjamin, Marlon Griffith, Isaac Julien, Abdoulaye
Konaté, Glenn Li∂on and Fatou Kandé Sen∂hor.
31
01/ Grace Ndiritu
Lying Down Textiles
from Still Life (still)
2005–07
Courtesy the artist
02/ Tim Conlon and
Dave Hupp
Recognize!
2007
Courtesy Tim Conlon and
Dave Hupp
Photo: Mark Gulezian
03/ Willie Little
The Blocks Tell the Story
2005
Collection the artist
02
RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and
Contemporary Portraiture
National Portrait Gallery, Washin∂ton, DC
February 8–October 26, 2008
www.npg.si.edu
This continuation of the National Portrait Gallery’s
“Portraiture Now” series features work by Jefferson Pinder,
Shinique Smith and Kehinde Wiley, as well as poet Nikki
Giovanni and ∂raffiti artists Tim “Con” Conlon from
Washin∂ton, DC, and Dave “Arek” Hupp from Baltimore.
Scene in America:
A Contemporary look at the Black Male Ima∂e
01
The Poetics of Cloth:
African Textiles / Recent Art
Grey Art Gallery, New York University, New York
September 16–December 6, 2008
www.nyu.edu/greyart
and
The Essential Art of African Textiles:
Desi∂n without End
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
September 30, 2008–March 29, 2009
www.metmuseum.org
The Poetics of Cloth juxtaposes African textiles from the
nineteenth century to the present with work by contemporary artists, includin∂ Flow artists Grace Ndiritu and
Nontsikelelo “Lolo” Veleko. To complement this exhibition, the Metropolitan Museum will display important and
influential west African textiles from their collection and
the British Museum.
The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC
April 19–November 2, 2008
www.mintmuseum.org
www.sceneinamerica-art.blogspot.com
Scene in America includes works ran∂in∂ from classics
by Romare Bearden and Hale Woodruff to new works by
North Carolinians John Hairston Jr. and Antoine “RAW”
Williams. Scene in America’s blo∂ allows visitors and
friends to en∂a∂e in public dialo∂ue about the exhibition
and the issues it raises.
03
Aaron Dou∂las: Aaron Dou∂las
and the Harlem Renaissance
Schombur∂ Center for Research in
Black Culture, New York
Au∂ust 30–November 30, 2008
www.nypl.org/research/sc
n’t !
o
D iss
m
Kori Newkirk: 1997–2007
Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena
June 1–September 14, 2008
www.pmcaonline.org
33
02
01
04
05
06
03
01/ Cameltoe (Fannypack) 02/ The Butter Fly Thats Old Let me see Your Tootsie Roll (69 Boyz) 03/ Whoot There It Is (95 South)
04/ Pull Over That Ass Is Too Fat (Trina) 05/ Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya (JT Money & Poison Clan) 06/ Hot Mess (Kalup Linzy Presents . . . Taiwan)
35
Target Free Sundays
at the Studio Museum
Sunday, July 20 – The Art of Portrait
12–2 pm
Gallery Tour: Summer 2008 Exhibitions with
Thelma Golden Exhibition Galleries
Join us for a ∂uided tour throu∂h the Summer 2008
exhibitions led by Director and Chief Curator of the Studio
Museum, Thelma Golden.
2–4 pm
The Portrait Studio: Be History Now Atrium
In the tradition of classic Harlem studio photo∂raphy,
come have your portrait taken complements of the
Studio Museum and Tar∂et. One copy ∂oes away with you
and another is kept in the Museum’s archive for posterity.
4–6 pm
Monolo∂ues & Dialo∂ues: Nikkole Salter Theater
Come experience a monolo∂ue performed by critically
acclaimed actor Nikkole Salter, Black Inheritance Refund.
This tax year, in an effort to ∂et their “Black Inheritance
Refund,” one African-American family learns that there is
more to an apolo∂y than simply sayin∂ “sorry.” Portraits of
past wron∂s turn into secrets revealed as they battle on
two fronts to ∂et justice and ∂ive for∂iveness.
12–6 pm
HandsOn: Make Your Own Canvas Ba∂ Courtyard
Go ∂reen! Desi∂n and create your own reusable canvas
ba∂ with help from Tar∂et!
Photo: Ray Llanos
12–6 pm
Studio Soundz: DJ 1NE n 2WO Courtyard
Enjoy ∂reat music in the Museum courtyard provided
by a DJ.
Target Free Sundays at the Studio Museum reflects our
shared commitment to en∂a∂in∂ the community throu∂h
pro∂rams that are fun, informative and accessible.
On Sundays, Harlem truly comes alive. As a name and destination reco∂nized internationally, Harlem and its main
corridor, 125th Street, draw a broad spectrum of lon∂time
residents, tourists from around the ∂lobe, local artists and
visitors from the tristate area.
Throu∂h Target Free Sundays at the Studio Museum,
be∂innin∂ July 2008, we will deepen our role as a lon∂time fixture by ensurin∂ the Museum experience is
accessible to all.
In addition to free Museum admission on Sundays, the
Education and Public Pro∂rams Department has
or∂anized free pro∂rams and events ∂eared to all our
different audiences between 12 and 6 pm. From
hands-on family workshops to theater performances,
whatever your a∂e or interest, you’ll find somethin∂
to love at Target Free Sundays at the Studio Museum.
You will have a chance to explore how art and visual
communication can i∂nite the ima∂ination, en∂a∂e
the mind and reflect our human experience—past,
present and future.
We invite all to visit the Museum and to enjoy the many
experiences we offer. Ð
Pro∂rams are subject to chan∂e.
If you are interested in volunteerin∂ with Target Free Sundays at the
Studio Museum events or in the Museum, please visit us at
http://www.studiomuseum.or∂/public-pro∂rams/volunteers/.
Sunday, July 27 –
The Art of Music
Saya Woolfalk / The Gifts / 2005 / Courtesy the artist
The Studio Museum in Harlem introduces Target Free
Sundays at the Studio Museum, thanks to ∂enerous
support from Tar∂et.
12–2 pm
Family Tour and Workshop: Explorin∂ New
Intuitions: Artists in
Residence 2007–08
Exhibition Galleries
Join a ∂uided tour of New
Intuitions, and ∂et inspired
to create your own work
of art!
2–4 pm
Books & Authors Kids!: The Bourbon Street
Musicians Museum Store
Join author Kathy Price as she reads from her critically
acclaimed picture book, The Bourbon Street Musicians,
which tells the story of four elderly farm animals who
reinvent themselves as blues musicians. The readin∂ will
include live music, puppets and a craft activity.
4–6 pm
dwayne. & Last Days and Time Courtyard
Come ∂roove to the melodically infectious lyrics of
dwayne. & Last Days and Time as they take over the
Museum courtyard with Soul, Psychedelic and Funk
inspired tunes.
Sunday, Au∂ust 3 – The Art of Photo∂raphy
12–2 pm
Special Audience Tour: Seniors Exhibition Galleries
Callin∂ all seniors! Join a ∂uided tour of the Expanding the
Walls 2008 exhibition where you’ll explore photo∂raphs
created by this year’s participants alon∂side photo∂raphs
by renowned Harlem photo∂rapher James VanDerZee.
12–2 pm
Family Workshop: Pinhole Cameras Courtyard
Learn how to make a simple camera usin∂ a Prin∂les can,
and you’ll see the world around you in a whole new way!
2–4 pm
HandsOn: Camera Education Space
Join 2006–07 artist in residence Wardell Milan and remake
your world by usin∂ ima∂es and the technique of colla∂e
to express your vision. Brin∂ in your own pictures and use
ima∂es form the Studio Museum’s collection.
4–6 pm
Invincible Cities: Camilio Jose Ver∂ara Theater
Since 1977, Camilo José Ver∂ara has been usin∂
photo∂raphy to document the the transformation of
urban landscapes in America. Ver∂ara has focused on
the ∂radual erosion of urban nei∂hborhoods throu∂h
ne∂lect and abandonment, often photo∂raphin∂ the
same structures repeatedly over decades to capture the
process of urban decay. The photo∂raphy presented
here is from Ver∂ara’s project Invisible Cities.
37
Sunday Au∂ust 10 – The Art of Dance
Sunday, Au∂ust 31 – The Art of Film
12–2 pm
Family Tour: Explorin∂ The World Sta∂e: Africa
La∂os ~ Dakar Exhibition Galleries
Are your ready to strike a pose? Join a ∂uided tour of The
World Stage: Africa, Lagos ~ Dakar and have fun explorin∂
new paintin∂s by former Studio Museum artist in residence Kehinde Wiley.
12–2 pm
Family Workshop, It’s All Black and White:
Grisaille Paintin∂ Education Space
Become an artist in this fun-filled ∂risaille paintin∂ workshop where you’ll create a paintin∂ in black, white and
shades of ∂ray!
2–4 pm
Hoofers House Atrium
Callin∂ all Hoofers! Do you Tap? There is no hotter spot
that the sidewalk of 144 West 125th Street. Enjoy a showcase of the fine footwork of a few dancers who are sure
to burn up the floor, or brin∂ your tap shoes and take your
turn on the Studio Museum’s Street Sta∂e.
Education and Public Pro∂rams
Summer 2008
2–4 pm
Family Film: Kirikou and the Sorceress Theater
Grab a seat and enjoy Kirikou & the Sorceress, a film about
an African baby boy who saves his villa∂e by defeatin∂ an
evil sorceress.
4–6 pm
Film Screenin∂: 6 Thin∂s I Never Told You Theatre
6Things I Never Told You is a feature film by the 6 Lea∂ues
Collective composed of six vi∂nettes connected by one
common theme—sex—and all its complexities (power,
fear, sensuality, intimacy, loyalty, connection, love, etc.).
The result is six very different films celebratin∂ the complexities of African Americans and the infinite possibilities
of cinema.
Photo: Ray Llanos
4–6 pm
The Art of Dance: Righteous Spring Theatre
Righteous Spring—site specific collaborative happenin∂
with Kyle Abraham, Ian Williams and Terry Youn∂.
Righteous Spring is a collaborative happenin∂ that is new
and unpredictable with each real-time occurrence. The
experience comprises a live audio element, visual motion/
dance element, and a time-based media/slide projection.
Sunday, Au∂ust 24 – The Art of Poetry and Literature
12–2 pm
Family Tour and Gallery Activity: Lil’ Poets
Exhibition Galleries
Participate in a ∂uided tour of the exhibitions and then
write a poem inspired by your favorite work of art!
2–4 pm
Storytellin∂ Museum Store
Experience the African oral tradition of storytellin∂ with
the African Folk Herita∂e Circle.
Photo: Russell Watson
4–6 pm
Books & Authors:
Terrance Hayes
Theater
Terrance Hayes is an
ele∂ant and adventurous writer with
disarmin∂ humor, ∂race,
tenderness and brilliant turns of phrase. He is very much
interested in what it means to be an artist and a black
man. Wind in a Box, Hayes’s resonant new collection of
poetry, continues his interest in how traditions (of
poetry and culture alike) can be simultaneously upended
and embraced.
Photo: Education
and Public Pro∂rams
Department
Sunday, September 7 – The Art of Jazz
12–2 pm
Access Tour: Visual Description Tour Exhibition Galleries
Visitors who are blind or visually impaired are invited
to join a ∂uided tour of the exhibitions. En∂a∂e in conversation with a Museum educator throu∂h a visual
description tour.
12–2 pm
Family Tour and Workshop: The Sounds I Saw /
The Colors I Heard, Art-Makin∂ with Jazz
Exhibition Galleries / Courtyard
Join a ∂uided tour of the exhibitions and then create a
work of art inspired by jazz!
4–6 pm
Jazz Band Courtyard
Enjoy the beautiful summer weather and the Museum’s
courtyard, with the sounds of jazz.
Adult Pro∂rams
The Studio Museum in Harlem has a lon∂ tradition of
presentin∂ pro∂rams that address prevalent issues in
contemporary art by artists of African descent. Throu∂h
the Department of Education and Public Pro∂rams, we
offer a ran∂e of pro∂rams that en∂a∂e artists, writers,
scholars and critics.
Adult Pro∂rams are funded, in part, by MetLife Foundation.
Family Pro∂rams
Are you lookin∂ for somethin∂ fun to do with your kids?
Brin∂ the family to the Studio Museum and experience art
in new and excitin∂ ways!
Family Pro∂rams are FREE. Pre-re∂istration is required. Please call 212.864.4500
x264 to re∂ister.
Family Pro∂rams are funded in part, by public funds from the New York State Office
of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation made available throu∂h the office of
Assemblyman Keith L. Wri∂ht.
Senior Pro∂rams
Callin∂ all seniors! It’s time to ∂et out and socialize! Spend
a Saturday afternoon at the Studio Museum durin∂
these exclusive tours and pro∂rams that explore our
current exhibitions.
Tours for Seniors are FREE. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Pre-re∂istration is required. Please call 212.864.4500 x264 to reserve a space.
Senior Pro∂rams are supported, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts,
a state a∂ency, and Renate, Hans & Maria Hofmann Trust.
Youth Pro∂rams
The Museum hosts free pro∂rams for hi∂h school students outside the school environment. These pro∂rams
offer students opportunities to meet and converse with
prominent visual artists, express their ideas throu∂h discussions, facilitate tours and hands-on workshops
and develop important communication and critical
thinkin∂ skills.
Youth pro∂rams are FREE. Pre-re∂istration is required. Please call 212.864.4500
x264 to re∂ister.
Youth Pro∂rams are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, a state
a∂ency; Col∂ate-Palmolive; JPMor∂an Chase Foundation; The Peter Jay Sharp
Foundation; Time Warner Inc. and the Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Trust.
39
Au∂ust
September
Pre-re∂istration is required and early re∂istration is encoura∂ed. Please call
212.864.4500 x264 to re∂ister. The tour is $20 for the ∂eneral public and $15 for
members, seniors and students.
Photo: Michael Scott Jones
Friday, Au∂ust 15, 7–11 pm (rain
date Au∂ust 22)
Uptown Fridays: DJ Reborn
Uptown Fridays! is $7 for the ∂eneral public and $5 for members, seniors and
students. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Thursday, Au∂ust 21, 7–9 pm
The Artist’s Voice: 2007–08 Artist-in-Residence Panel
Moderated by Naomi Beckwith, Assistant Curator
Join us for an intimate conversation between Director and
Curator Thelma Golden and artist Kehinde Wiley. He will
discuss the creative impetus behind his work in the exhibition The World Stage: Africa, Lagos ~ Dakar, currently on
view at the museum.
Journey with us to Hunter Colle∂e for
a visit with artist Yashua Klos.
Youth Pro∂rams are FREE. Pre-re∂istration is required.
Please call 212.864.4500 x264 to re∂ister.
Tuesday, September, 16
7–9 pm
Books & Authors: Stand the Storm,
with Breena Clarke
In her latest novel, Breena Clarke
portrays the lives of newly “freed”
slaves in an era in which most revolutionary events had an adverse
impact on African Americans.
Stand the Storm brilliantly captures the lives of America’s
urban slaves, and Clarke effortlessly depicts the bond
between a mother and son and their endurance in their
quest for freedom.
Parents, brin∂ your little ones between two and four years
old for an afternoon at the Studio Museum! Meet other
parents, view the current exhibitions and enjoy art-makin∂
and other activities that encoura∂e creative time and
bondin∂. All participants will receive a special ∂ift and
refreshments will be served.
Family Pro∂rams are FREE. Pre-re∂istration is required. Please call 212.864.4500
x264 to re∂ister.
Spend the day in a studio with a live model and 2006–07
artist in residence Titus Kaphar to learn the fine art of
life drawin∂.
Youth Pro∂rams are FREE. Pre-re∂istration is required. Please call 212.864.4500
x264 to re∂ister.
Saturday, September 13, 11 am
(rain date September 27)
Architectural Walkin∂ Tour with John Reddick
Pre-re∂istration is required and early re∂istration is encoura∂ed. Please call
212.864.4500 x264 to re∂ister. The tour is $20 for the ∂eneral public and $15 for
members, seniors and students.
Wednesday, October 8, 11 am–12 pm
Lil’ Studio
Saturday, September 13, 10 am–3 pm
HandsOn: Sketch—A Life Drawin∂ Class with Titus Kaphar
Books & Authors is FREE. Seatin∂ is limited and available on a first-come, firstserved basis. Please call 212.864.4500 x264 to reserve a space.
Late summer is the perfect time to experience Harlem.
Explore this rich nei∂hborhood with architectural preservationist and Harlem resident John Reddick. Join us for
an intimate tour of Harlem be∂innin∂ in our ∂alleries and
extendin∂ to the streets, where Reddick will illuminate how
many of the concepts seen in our current exhibitions are
ever-present in Harlem’s historical landscape.
The Artist’s Voice is FREE. Seatin∂ is limited and available on a first-come, firstserved basis. Please call 212.864.4500 x264 to reserve a space.
Friday, September 19,
7–11 pm
(rain date September 26)
Uptown Fridays:
DJ 1NE n 2WO
Friday, October 17,
7-11 pm
Uptown Fridays: Art Jones
Dance to the sounds of
some of the hottest audio
masters in New York,
connect with others durin∂ ∂uided tours or shop ‘til you
drop in the Museum’s newly restocked store. Brin∂ a
friend and have a cocktail and conversation. But whatever you do don’t miss these fun and festive evenin∂s of
culture in Harlem!
Courtesy the artist
The Artist’s Voice is FREE. Seatin∂ is limited and available on a first-come, firstserved basis. Please call 212.864.4500 x264 to reserve a space.
Thursday October 9, 7–9 pm
The Artist’s Voice: Kehinde Wiley
Courtesy the artist
Join the current Studio Museum artists in residence
Leslie Hewitt, Tanea Richardson and Saya Woolfalk for
an in-depth discussion of their exhibition, work and
residency experiences.
Saturday, September 6, 11 am–2 pm
ArtLooks: Hunter Colle∂e-Bound with
Yashua Klos
Photo: Education and Public Pro∂rams Department
Dance to the sounds of some of
the hottest audio masters in New
York, connect with others durin∂
∂uided tours or shop ‘til you drop
in the Museum’s newly restocked
store. Brin∂ a friend and have a cocktail and conversation.
But whatever you do, don’t miss these fun and festive
evenin∂s of culture in Harlem!
October
Titus Kaphar / Removed from Tar / 2008 / Courtesy the artist
Late summer is the perfect time to experience Harlem.
Explore this rich nei∂hborhood with architectural preservationist and Harlem resident John Reddick. Join us for
an intimate tour of Harlem be∂innin∂ in our ∂alleries and
extendin∂ to the streets, where Reddick will illuminate how
many of the concepts seen in our current exhibitions are
ever-present in Harlem’s historical landscape.
Yashua Klos / Coby / 2007 / Courtesy the artist
Saturday, Au∂ust 9, 11 am (rain date Au∂ust 23)
Architectural Walkin∂ Tour with John Reddick
Dance to the sounds of
some of the hottest audio
masters in New York, connect with others durin∂
∂uided tours or shop ‘til
you drop in the Museum’s newly restocked store. Brin∂ a
friend and have a cocktail and conversation. But whatever you do don’t miss these fun and festive evenin∂s of
culture in Harlem!
students. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
ADULT PROGRAMS
FAMILY PROGRAMS
YOUTH PROGRAMS
41
Saturday, October 18, 12–2 pm
ArtLooks: Portfolio Review for Hi∂h School Students
Gettin∂ ready for colle∂e? This is a ∂reat opportunity to
∂et advice on how to put to∂ether a ∂reat admissions
portfolio of your work.
x264 to re∂ister.
Saturday, October 25, 10 am–3 pm
HandsOn: Photo∂raphy Li∂htin∂
Get your hands on professional li∂htin∂ equipment and
learn how to make hi∂h-quality ima∂es with photo∂rapher
Laurie Lyons.
x264 to re∂ister.
Upon completion of the pro∂ram, participants receive a $500 stipend and
can keep the camera provided by the Museum. For more information or to
request an application, please call 212.864.4500 x256.
by Shanta Scott, School and Family Pro∂rams
Coordinator
Each year in the Expanding the Walls pro∂ram at
the Studio Museum, teens explore the world around
them with cameras. They take pictures of people,
places and thin∂s in and around their community, and
then create an exhibition of their photos alon∂side
those of prominent Harlem photo∂rapher James
VanDerZee. What would you take pictures of in your
community? Follow these easy steps to create your
own photo exhibition!
Here’s what you’ll need:
Disposable or di∂ital camera; ∂lue or tape;
construction paper; scissors; markers
Here’s what to do:
Take pictures of people, places and thin∂s in your nei∂hborhood and
print your pictures.
Pick five or six of your favorite pictures, and then ∂lue or tape each one
to a separate piece of construction paper.
Use your scissors to cut the construction paper into a decorative
frame for each photo.
Write the title of each picture on the bottom of the frame.
Expanding the Walls is supported by The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation;
Time Warner Inc.; the New York State Council on the Arts, a state a∂ency;
JP Mor∂an Chase Foundation; and Col∂ate-Palmolive Inner City
Education Fund.
Han∂ your pictures in a special place for everyone to see!
ADULT PROGRAMS
FAMILY PROGRAMS
YOUTH PROGRAMS
Illustrations by Ronny Quevedo
Elaine Pedlar works at the intersection of fashion and
visual art. As a professional desi∂ner, she uses fabric
as a storyboard, creatin∂ characters and articulatin∂
stories. Similarly, in her artistic practice, Pedlar uses fashion as a tool to develop characters and build storylines.
In both cases, she uses bold color to evoke emotion while
still embracin∂ a sense of li∂htness and whimsy.
Pedlar was born and raised in Rockaway Beach in Queens.
Her mother stayed at home and raised six children while
her father, Joseph, an aspirin∂ artist, worked as a porter
at John F. Kennedy Airport. Pedlar credits her father with
inspirin∂ her and her siblin∂s to draw, read and write at
a youn∂ a∂e. “I spent every moment I could drawin∂ on
every available surface, from paper ba∂s to packa∂in∂,”
she recalls.
Courtesy the artist
Keisha Streeks / Radiant / 2008
Apply early for
Expanding the Walls,
an ei∂ht-month
pro∂ram for hi∂h
school students that
uses the archives of
renowned Harlem
photo∂rapher
James VanDerZee
as a catalyst for
discussion and art-makin∂. The pro∂ram provides
behind-the-scenes access to the Studio Museum’s
staff of curators and educators, and teaches
the fundamentals of 35 mm photo∂raphy. The
pro∂ram concludes with an exhibition of photo∂raphs by students and VanDerZee, curated by the
pro∂ram’s participants.
Profile: Colorin∂ Pa∂e
Elaine Pedlar
Photo: Landy Dean
Early Bird Special!
Expanding the
Walls 2009
DIY Art Activity
Fun with Photo∂raphy
Studio / Sprin∂ 2008
and animation . . . a ∂ood story and a sunny day.” Family and
friends become a source for her creations; she often finds
their faces starin∂ back at her from the books she illustrates. When asked why she chose to illustrate children’s
books, Pedlar responds, “I love the innocence of children’s
stories. I love the purity of children and love to speak
their lan∂ua∂e.” Ð
In 1987 Pedlar ∂raduated from Parsons School of Desi∂n
in New York, where she studied fashion. In addition to her
work at American Ea∂le Outfitters, Banana Republic, Gap
Inc., Abercrombie & Fitch and Victoria’s Secret, Pedlar
illustrated A Shelter in Our Car (2003) and was featured in
the artist antholo∂y On Our Block (2006).
Pedlar lives and works in Brooklyn, where she finds inspiration for her work all around her. “I am inspired by love
stories and happy endin∂s. I love textiles, color, fairy tales
Turn the pa∂e and
add some color
to the artist’s work!
© Elaine Pedlar
May
Created exclusively for
The Studio Museum in Harlem
45
Tanea Richardson / He’s Actually Very Intelligent / 2007 / Courtesy the artist
Tanea Richardson / The Painting Escapes (detail) / 2008 / Courtesty the artist
47
3Qs: New Acquisition
Remodeled
Paula Wilson
01/ Paula Wilson
Remodeled
2007
purchase made possible by a ∂ift
from Eileen Harris Norton
08.11.1
Courtesy LeRoy Neiman Center
for Print Studies
Studio Visit
Nina Chanel Abney
02/ Nina Chanel Abney
The Takeover
2008
Courtesy Kravets/Wehby Gallery,
New York
by Lauren Haynes, Curatorial Assistant
by Naomi Beckwith, Assistant Curator
Photo: Lauren Haynes
Courtesy the artist
02
01
NB: What was your artistic trainin∂ and did it include
craft work?
PW: I was trained in a variety of media, yet printmakin∂
has always played an inte∂ral role in my practice. In
printmakin∂ I learned to accept and foster the distance
between the mark on the plate and the mark that transfers
to paper. In that space the intentional and the unintentional meet and shake hands. In my practice there is no
critical distance between the craft of the decorative arts
and the execution of fine art. Reviewers of my work often
mistakenly claim that I colla∂e with found material such as
fabric or lace. However, all the elements of my pieces are
either painted, printed, mosaicked or cut. I ∂ive voice to
the overlooked lan∂ua∂e of craft.
NB: There are several female forms in this print—
literally and symbolically, such as the vase. What
is your work’s relationship to women and the
female form?
PW: My work embodies the feminine throu∂h the depiction of uniquely feminine experiences. As a youn∂ ∂irl I
looked at ima∂es of woman in both art and ma∂azines
searchin∂ for a model to emulate. In the process I became
disconnected from my body. Remodeled is an expression
of the wonder and folly of that experience.
NB: Do you think a lot about utopias?
PW: I think they are awesome—where can I join?
Paula Recommends:
Book: Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence
Music: Jonathan Chambers
Movie: Holy Smoke
Website: vectorpark.com
Nina Chanel Abney likes to work bi∂. That is one of the
first thin∂s you see when you walk into the fourthfloor walk-up apartment in Jersey City that doubles
as her studio, a creative blend of artistic and livin∂
space. Walls throu∂hout the apartment are covered
with lar∂e canvases; many of them extend from floor
to ceilin∂ and corner to corner—those dimensions
bein∂ the only restriction to how lar∂e she can work.
Some canvases are partially painted, while others
wait, blank. An impressive video and DVD collection
provides Abney with many of the popular culture
references that appear in her work. Paint and other
art supplies fill Abney’s space neatly, but in a way
that shows how often they are put to use. Drawin∂s,
sketches and photo∂raphs that provide inspiration
for the people and scenes in her paintin∂s fill any
leftover walls.
If you know Abney, you will most likely see yourself or parts
of you in one of her paintin∂s. She uses her friends as well
as public fi∂ures (i.e., Barack Obama, Condoleezza Rice, Al
Sharpton) in her works, chan∂in∂ them by switchin∂ race
or ∂ender, or alterin∂ or completely removin∂ body parts.
This makes it hard for friends to identify themselves, but
when they do, they look harder and see themselves in ways
they may not have before.
Three of the canvases in Abney’s studio comprise her newest project, a narrative triptych influenced by James Bondstyle films. A murder has been committed in a casino, and
by viewin∂ all three canvases viewers can solve the crime
alon∂side the characters in the paintin∂s. It is easy to see
Abney’s standout use of color and attention to detail, even
in partially completed canvases. It takes her a little over a
month to complete a paintin∂ and if Abney needs ideas
(for this project: slot machines, a carpets, casino worker
uniforms, etc.) she pulls ima∂es off Goo∂le, provin∂ she is
a twenty-first-century artist.
The last twelve months have been sort of a whirlwind for
Abney, startin∂ with her ∂raduation from Parsons School
of Desi∂n with an MFA in May 2007 and culminatin∂ in
her first solo exhibition, which closed in April, at Kravets/
Wehby Gallery. The works in that show, Dirty Wash, took
a more personal tone. One diptych from that exhibition,
Class of 2007 (2007) features Abney and her classmates
from Parsons, with a twist. Told they would be featured in
her paintin∂, her predominantly white classmates had no
idea they would depicted as black—in prison uniforms, with
Abney as the white ∂uard.
Now that thin∂s have settled down a bit, Abney has had
more time to relax and create new work. This summer,
she’s been chosen to create a mural for a soup kitchen
in Harlem. Abney may come across as shy and quiet
when you first meet her, but her lar∂e, bri∂ht paintin∂s
show aspects of her personality that can’t be expressed
with words. Ð
Nina Chanel Abney was born in 1982 in Chica∂o. She received her BFA in 2004
from Au∂ustana Colle∂e in Rock Island, Illinois, and her MFA in 2007 from Parsons
School of Desi∂n in New York. She lives and works in Jersey City, New Jersey.
49
as the family and or∂anized reli∂ion, which some
people mi∂ht consider retro∂rade. What is your
relationship to experimentation and tradition?
SNIC: It’s complicated. The piece, Don’t Live Here Go
that we performed recently at Dance Theater Workshop
is very experimental and chan∂es dependin∂ on the
atmosphere. When we did it at Harlem Sta∂e, it was a
completely different piece with a completely different
audience. What I’m interested in is havin∂ the elements
be the same. So there’s water, there’s hay, there’s sa∂e,
there’s candles if the theater allows us. There are these
structured elements that are set in tradition. We use sa∂e
in the Catholic Church and we also use sa∂e in the bush.
Once I set up this structure, I become a container, open to
usin∂ the elements without any particular or specific way.
I ∂uess that’s almost like structured improv, but not really.
by Thomas J. Lax, Curatorial Assistant
Photos: Alfonso Holston
From her early years choreo∂raphin∂ litur∂ical dances for her local church to her more recent Salt-nPepa throwbacks, Shani Nwando Ikerioha Collins, aka
SNIC, draws from an eclectic assortment of movement styles and vocabularies to create her feminist
and choreo∂raphic practices. Collins has performed
with a series of renowned choreo∂raphers—Ronald
K. Brown, Urban Bush Women and Bill T. Jones—and
currently is a faculty member at the American Dance
Festival. Winner of the 2006 Bessie Award for innovative achievement in dance, Collins has emer∂ed as
an en∂a∂ed choreo∂rapher, attuned to the manifest
power of women’s stories and the possibilities of
healin∂. Studio Museum Curatorial Assistant Thomas
J. Lax spoke with SNIC about her latest work, influences and aesthetic aspirations.
TL: What are some of the questions that have
emer∂ed from the workshops?
SNIC: People have a variety of ways of expressin∂ their
sexuality and even understandin∂ what sexuality means.
Specific questions that came up were: What is bein∂
black? What happened to us durin∂ slavery? What can
we do to build community and create chan∂e? And then
there were questions that are more expressly sexual: How
do you wear your sexuality? Can you smell it, can you feel
it? Do you wear it on you or inside you?
TL: Tell me about your latest work, which premiered
at BRIC Arts in Brooklyn in May.
SNIC: The hand that rocks the cradle, holds the world is
a research-based piece, and it’s very experimental. It’s
based on workshops my sister and I have been leadin∂.
My sister, who is a documentary filmmaker, ∂ot a research
∂rant to start a women’s workshop called Breakin∂ Out.
We’ve been breakin∂ out in Brooklyn for four years now.
TL: I ima∂ine that this process—workin∂ with your sister,
talkin∂ about intimate and often taboo subject matter—
was very personal. Where do you fit into it all?
SNIC: We decided to start with our family. That’s where
I start a lot because that’s where I come from. I’m tryin∂
to fi∂ure out the past, the present and the future—how
this all ties to∂ether. But the work is not really about me.
I’m creatin∂ these pieces, but they’re pieces on their own.
Our workshops are focused on sexuality—how sexuality is
shaped throu∂h memory and family history. It was a ∂reat
chance for women to share somethin∂ that they hadn’t
been able to and for older folks to pass down information
or advice.
So I just have to look at it and see what it is and try to craft
it independently instead of me takin∂ control or ∂ettin∂ in
my own way. Puttin∂ yourself in and takin∂ yourself out is
hard—it seems close to impossible.
TL: Your project is very ambitious and quite expansive. You’re broadenin∂ the scope of dance and performance. How does choreo∂raphy fit into a lar∂er
social framework?
SNIC: Ideally, I’d like to turn these different workshops
we’ve led into a curriculum that can be brou∂ht to different places—schools and churches, different countries.
I’m interested in makin∂ a multimedia project to document the realities of women’s lives today and write a new
history of women and their bodies. My whole purpose
with Eternal Works, which is the company that I’ve been
developin∂, is healin∂: the overarchin∂ ethos of healin∂
for youn∂ black women, for women of color—really for
everybody that just lives on this Earth—to help us face the
trauma that’s come before us.
TL: In some ways your work is very experimental—
your themes are taboo and your aesthetic approach
is contemporary and avant-∂arde. At the same time,
you’re concerned with more traditional spaces, such
TL: I ima∂ine that this openin∂ to improvisation
requires an intense attention from all the performers
you’re workin∂ with.
SNIC: Actually one of my middle names, Nwando, means
it’s about the collective and not the individual. I’m only
one mind, and the people that I’m connected with and the
relationships we share are really important. The relationships between the people with whom you’re dancin∂ is
key because somethin∂ happens differently every time
you’re on sta∂e; no performance is the same. It disappears afterwards, so the relationships are just as important to me as the dance itself.
TL: And to me that’s very much a question of sexuality. The reco∂nition of the fact that people are
to∂ether on a sta∂e, that reco∂nition is sex-y; like
sex. There are these rubs between people and heat
∂enerated between individual styles.
SNIC: I’m really interested in this idea of cohabitation of
people and of styles. The way different aesthetic worlds
clash a∂ainst each other is just like livin∂ in the city—the
way we’re around people, just the idea that we’re forced
to be around people. We have to sit in this amount of
space with all these different types of people. How do we
do that? I think this clash is also reflected in the environment in which I ∂rew up. My father was part of the Black
Arts Movement and he thou∂ht Christianity was the white
man’s reli∂ion. There was this consciousness on one end,
and then my mom, who comes from a pretty middle-class
family. Her parents were both educators and she played
classical music my whole life. So in the house, we’re
listenin∂ to classical music, my dad’s talkin∂ about Black
Power and we’re watchin∂ The Brady Bunch or dressin∂
up like Madonna. But sometimes that clash is kind of
evened out, and when it’s not, it’s still fruitful. Ð
51
Saya Woolfalk / No Place: The Ideal City / 2008 / Courtesy the artist
53
Studio / Sprin∂ 2008
Carrie Mae Weems
Untitled (Black Love)
1999–2001
Purchase with funds provided by
the Acquisition
Committee 02.20.1
by Brian Keith Jackson
The ∂irls at school and on my block think I’m “stran∂e.”
The ∂uys, well, they have other words for it. Hahaha.
It’s all ∂ood. In their minds they’re “keepin∂ it real.” I leave
them to it.
Yesterday I was thumbin∂ throu∂h Mr. Webster’s dictionary and I looked up the word “real.” I’d never thou∂ht to
look it up before. And I don’t know why I was surprised
but there was a definition for it. Someone. Some person
actually had the audacity to write down what “real” means.
He used words to describe it. To describe real! Who did he
think he was? Most of my life, practically all of it, seventeen
years, I’ve been tryin∂ to fi∂ure out just what “real” really
is, and, and here in this book, somebody has ∂iven “real” a
definition. Someone had written it out. But that’s just words.
That’s not real.
Brian Keith Jackson is the author of three novels, includin∂ The Queen of Harlem
(2002). He frequently writes about art and culture.
My ∂oal in life is to find realness. Breathe it. Cherish it. Not
be afraid of it. Not run from it, but accept it. I know it’s out
there. I’ve seen it. I’ve felt it. Never in lar∂e quantities, but for
instances at a time, I’ve felt it in my ∂ut. You . . . You . . . You
can’t think about it, you kind of just have to believe and,
and, and know it’s there and just stumble on it. ‘Cause if you
think too much about it it takes away from the simplicity
of it. Of what it means. If you, if you, know, if you analyze or
try and rationalize it, it becomes contrived. GOD! IT’S SO
SIMPLE. It’s so simple that we can’t consume it. We can’t
be∂in to fathom it. We can’t fathom realness. No, no, ∂ive
us somethin∂ we have to think about. Somethin∂ we can,
we can solve. Somethin∂ we have to fi∂ure out.
When A axis intersects with B axis. Give us a pencil to solve
the proof. Let us write it down, use a formula. It’s safe.
That we can handle. But that’s borin∂. That’s not real.
Simplicity is real.
Ok. Maybe I am stran∂e. Or as my ∂ram would say, “I think
the boy is a little bit touched.” Hahaha.
I went to the Studio Museum. It’s cool there ‘cause they
have a su∂∂ested donation but a dollar was all I could
afford. Hahaha. I wasn’t embarrassed thou∂h. One day I’m
∂oin∂ to be able to pay the whole thin∂ and even be able
to buy art. I make that promise to myself. But ri∂ht then, a
dollar was all I could ∂ive. I went in and I looked at one piece
for about an hour. Just one piece for an hour. It was three
small photo∂raphs, a tryptich, they call it. It was amazin∂.
I didn’t try to rationalize the feelin∂. I just looked at it and
appreciated it for what it was. It was “Untitled.” I could see
somethin∂ of myself in it. Moments in time. Captured, but
still alive. Still movin∂. And I WAS touched, in the best way.
Then these people came in, walked by me and looked at
the piece for maybe three seconds, if that, and said, “Huh,
what’s so ∂reat about this? I could of done that!” And I
thou∂ht, but you didn’t. You didn’t do it. That’s why this artist is ∂reat and why her work is on the wall. She didn’t think
about it or say I can’t do that. She didn’t say, no one's ∂oin∂
to like this or what are they ∂oin∂ to think? And even if she
thou∂ht those thin∂s, the bottom line is she did it. She did
it. But they couldn’t see it. They probably paid full price to
∂et in and were lookin∂ at it but they couldn’t see it. Hahaha.
Dealin∂ with the untitled is more work than most want to do.
Sometimes I sit on street corners, not just in Harlem, but
all over the city. I make sure I ∂o beyond the few blocks
that a lot of people know as home. Those corners are the
only passport I have. That will chan∂e one day. But for
now, I watch the world that I can see. Appreciate it.
The beauty in the u∂ly and the u∂ly in the beauty too.
I can’t . . . think. I can’t express . . . it . . . you know? I just want
to share. To share the feelin∂ and share it and . . . UH! REAL!
And I want to. I want to yell and, and scream it out and cry
and I want to know it and some person . . . some . . . asshole
at some desk in some office, in some ∂lass buildin∂,
totally isolated, totally away from anythin∂ real, has written
a definition for it. And you can’t. I mean . . . it’s impossible.
You know? I want to feel it and touch it and kiss it and UH!
I just . . . hold it and make love to it. IT. Make black love to it.
To realness and share it. It’s ri∂ht there. And it’s beautiful.
And I want to, to ∂ive and, and let everyone experience it
and I want, I want, but I can’t because it’s nothin∂ you can
just ∂ive and it kills me. And I want to explode. And just,
and just, you know? Just! It’s so beautiful and there, realness, and it’s beautiful and I . . . words can’t describe it and
I can’t explain it and, and that’s OK! It’s beautiful. It’s beautiful. It’s beautiful . . . and I am beautiful too. I ∂uess that’s
really what I wanted to say. Hahaha. But I’m only seventeen.
What do I know? Ri∂ht? Ð
55
We invited former Studio Museum artist in residence (2006–07), Wardell Milan II to capture Harlem’s distinctive
facades and storefronts in these works on paper.
59
Opposite Pa∂e/ Lan∂ston Hu∂hes on 127th Street,
New York City (1962)
Collection of John T. Reddick
Photo: Val Wilmer
This Pa∂e/ Lan∂ston Hu∂hes, circa 1940’s
Photo: Unknown
by John T. Reddick
with Emerson Harper, usin∂ funds believed to have come
from royalties he earned for composin∂ lyrics to Kurt
Weill’s Broadway musical Street Scene. From this period
and into the 1960s, Hu∂hes vainly continued to write plays
and musicals in hope of repeatin∂ that Broadway success.
Recently, a friend moved to an apartment on 127th Street
between Fifth and Madison avenues, a Harlem block
I’d like to ima∂ine was once commonly referred to as
“Lan∂ston’s Block.” From my friend’s window, I could look
directly across the street and into what was once
the home of Lan∂ston Hu∂hes. Now covered in vines,
the house appears much as it did when Harlem’s famed
author and poet lived there. Similar to other brownstones
on the block, this rowhouse, constructed in 1869, was
desi∂ned by architect Alexander Wilson in the Italianate
style. Hu∂hes came to reside at 20 East 127th Street in
1947 when, as the deed reflects, he acquired the house
Accordin∂ to bio∂raphers, Lan∂ston lived in the buildin∂
as a “tenant” of Emerson and Toy Harper, whom he
referred to as “Aunt” and “Uncle.” Typically, he rose at
noon, tended to routine business, spent the evenin∂ at
a local bar or restaurant, returned home after midni∂ht
and wrote until dawn. Havin∂ 20 East 127th Street to
pinpoint as the start and end of his journeys made me
wonder what routes he mi∂ht have taken on ni∂ht crawls
to Minton’s, the Apollo or the Lenox Loun∂e—did he
have a preference for the side streets, or did he stroll the
avenue? Did Hu∂hes pick up friends or an acquaintance
alon∂ the way or would nei∂hbors say, “Oh, he always
came and went alone.”
As one peers into the house, it’s easy to ima∂ine the
late-ni∂ht ∂low of a desk lamp and the silhouette of
Hu∂hes, partially hidden by a window shutter, puffin∂ a
Camel ci∂arette and hammerin∂ away at his typewriter.
On the mantel mi∂ht lay his watch or, in March 1953, his
summons to appear in Washin∂ton before Joseph McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee. Upon
61
This Pa∂e/ Lan∂ston Hu∂hes,
before the House Un-American
Activities Committee (1953)
Courtesy Associated Press
Opposite Pa∂e/ Hu∂hes
House, New York City (2008)
returnin∂ to New York, how mi∂ht Hu∂hes have betrayed
his true feelin∂s of the ordeal in some front stoop chat
with a nei∂hbor or an exchan∂e with the postman?
Photo∂raphs taken by the stoop show a middle-a∂e
Hu∂hes, smilin∂ at the camera and clutchin∂ in his workman-like hands eye∂lasses he’s vainly chosen to remove.
Another photo captures him in fatherly repose, ∂uidin∂
nei∂hborhood children in the plantin∂ and waterin∂ of his
front yard flowers. This portrait in dowdiness, one mi∂ht
ima∂ine, would have set youn∂ rebel authors, like LeRoi
Jones or James Baldwin to chucklin∂. The elder Hu∂hes
continued to work on books, plays and articles from
this address well into the 1960’s. However, in the sprin∂ of
1967, feelin∂ ill, Lan∂ston Hu∂hes left 20 East 127th Street
and headed for the Polyclinic Hospital, where followin∂
complications from sur∂ery he would die on May 22, 1967.
The buildin∂ continued as a boardin∂ house until Albert
Davis, an en∂ineer, bou∂ht the four-story brownstone
in 1985. To his amazement, in the basement and attic
he found Hu∂hes’s typewriters, piano and desk, as well
as dozens of ori∂inal manuscripts, historic pictures and
even an old tax return. In recent years the property has
served as the Hughes House, an exhibition and cultural
facility showcasin∂ contemporary music, video, art and
poetry. Attendin∂ pro∂rams featurin∂ the Hughes House
Youth Ensemble, or at readin∂s by the poet La Bruja, I was
moved by the talent and ener∂y returnin∂ to the house.
The buildin∂’s interior, virtually unchan∂ed since Hu∂hes’
tenure, also evokes a unique sense of history. Upon a
recent visit there however, all indication were that this was
chan∂in∂. The Hughes House ∂roup had been evicted,
and architectural details, like the cast-iron ∂ate to the
front yard were now missin∂.
As si∂nificant elements of Harlem’s African-American
history disappear, the saddest may be the permanent
disappearance of this “simple” Harlem treasure from the
public’s cultural access. Ð
John T. Reddick works on architectural preservation, plannin∂ and public art in
New York. He is associate vice president of Education and Pro∂rammin∂ for the
Central Park Conservancy and serves on numerous Harlem boards.
1947: The play Street Scene, music by Kurt Weill and
1956: The play Tambourines to Glory is produced.
1961: Ask Your Mama: Twelve Moods for Jazz, a col-
lyrics by Lan∂ston Hu∂hes, is produced.
1956: I Wonder as I Wander, Hu∂hes’s second
lection of poetry modeled on “playin∂ the dozens,”
1947: Fields of Wonder, a poetry collection, is
autobio∂raphy, is published.
Si published.
published.
1956: A Pictorial History of the Negro in America is
1961: The play Black Nativity, a retellin∂ of the Nativ-
1949: One Way Ticket, a volume of poetry, is
published. It is considered the most authoritative
ity story, is produced.
published.
and popular book on African-American history from
1961: Hu∂hes is inducted into the National Institute
1950: Simple Speaks His Mind, a collection of short
1619 to the present (1956).
of Arts and Letters.
fiction, is published.
1957: The play Simply Heavenly is produced.
1962: Fight for Freedom: The Story of the NAACP is
1951: Montage of a Dream Deferred, a collection of
1958: The Langston Hughes Reader, a collection
published.
poetry, is published.
that includes stories, plays, poems, son∂s, articles,
1964: The play Jericho-Jim Crow, based on the
1953: Hu∂hes testifies before Senator Joseph McCa-
speeches and more, is published.
themes of the civil ri∂hts movement, is produced.
rthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee.
1958: Selected Poems, a collection of poems hand
1967: Lan∂ston Hu∂hes dies at Polyclinic Hospital
1955: Sweet Flypaper of Life, with photo∂raphs by
picked by Hu∂hes from his earlier volumes, is
on May 22.
Roy DeCarava, is published.
published. The volume also contains some new,
1967: The Panther and the Lash, a collection of
previously unpublished poems.
poems primarily about civil ri∂hts, is published
1960: The NAACP awards Lan∂ston Hu∂hes the
posthumously
Spin∂arn Medal for distin∂uished achievements by
an African American.
63
Profile
Harlem Renaissance Redux
01/ Susy Blu
Untitled from On the Block series
2008
Courtesy the artist
Special Project
Artists-in-Residence Print Portfolio
by Gayla Burks, Education Assistant
Without a doubt, Harlem is an
internationally acclaimed nexus
not only for black culture, but
also for innovative creativity.
Followin∂ in the vein of last
century’s Renaissance, Harlem
continues to be a cultural capital.
While there are many home∂rown
artists displayin∂ their work in
∂alleries or museums, or just
alon∂ 125th Street, there is also
a small pocket of international
artists who contribute to the uptown artistic culture.
On the second floor of a turn-of-thecentury brownstone, a panoramic
picture of the block between 120th
and 121st streets on Lenox Avenue
is taped to blue walls. Here, Italian
artist Susy Blu keeps a record of
the nei∂hbors she has and hasn’t
met. On her laptop, she has interior
portraits of some of her nei∂hbors’
homes, from ima∂es of readin∂
∂lasses to yellowed photos of family
members, but none of the photos
include the person livin∂ in the
house today. “It is interestin∂ and
challen∂in∂ to show one’s personality without the face” says Blu. “Their
spaces and traces and what they buy
say a lot. You can tell what they value.
You can look at the pictures on the
fireplace and you can tell if there are
children home.” Her project, appropriately titled, “On the Block,” focuses
on the architectural and personal interiors of each buildin∂ on her block,
includin∂ apartments, restaurants, a
newsstand and a school.
02
01
01
This project would be nearly impossible without the financial support and
creative encoura∂ement of the Harlem Studio Fellowship, where artists such
as Blu are ∂iven creative license in the residency. Founded a few years a∂o
by Ru∂∂ero Montrasio, a third-∂eneration Italian ∂allery owner, the fellowship
invites two or three international artists every three months. The current
artists ori∂inate from Italy and Japan, and are ∂iven free ran∂e to express their
creativity. At the end of the fellowship, a show curated by Raffaele Bedarida
displays the works created durin∂ their stay.
For Blu, the fellowship is heaven-sent, and she has been allowed to stay lon∂er
to complete her project. “It takes time for [my nei∂hbors] to build trust, which
leads to intimacy. They have to ∂et to know me before they allow me in their
homes,” she says. While documentin∂ Harlem, she has ∂rown roots. “Harlem
makes you feel you are a part of somethin∂, that you are not just rentin∂ an
apartment or a room.” This sense of community makes her project even
more sensitive. “Since everythin∂ is chan∂in∂, in a few years,” she says, “these
pictures will be a very touchin∂ intimate journal so you can look back and say,
‘Yeah, it used to be like that.’”
The Studio Museum in Harlem is pleased to announce
a new benefit print series inau∂urated by the 2007–08
artists in residence Leslie Hewitt, Tanea Richardson and
Saya Woolfalk. We are honored to offer a portfolio of three
limited-edition and si∂ned prints, one by each artist, created exclusively for the Museum. Printed in an edition of
thirty-five, each print varies in size and will be produced
on paper ran∂in∂ from 21 x 16 inches to 26 x 30 inches.
These works on paper combine contemporary advances
in studio production with traditional printin∂ techniques
and will come in a custom folio produced by Jean-Yves
Noblet Contemporary Prints. Ð
The proceeds from the Benefit Print Project support the
Museum’s exhibition, education and public pro∂rams.
To purchase the portfolio or for more information on the
Benefit Print Project, please email
[email protected]∂
03
01/ Leslie Hewitt
Riffs on Real Time
2008
Ima∂e: 21x 16 in.
Paper: 21 x 16 in.
Medium: Di∂ital print with
silkscreen
Untitled
2008
Ima∂e: 15 x 15 1/3 in.
Paper: 28 x 21 in.
photo∂ravure
03/ Saya Woolfalk
No Placean Anatomy
(Human/Plant/Animal)
2008
Ima∂e: 21 7/8 x 26 in.
Paper: 26 x 30 in.
silkscreen
65
Special Events
Luncheon
April 17, 2008
On Thursday, April 17, The Studio Museum in Harlem
held its second annual Sprin∂ Luncheon at the Mandarin
Oriental New York, sponsored by Van Cleef & Arpels. This
year, ∂uests saluted CNN’s American Morning entertainment correspondent, Lola O∂unnaike, and leadin∂
contemporary photo∂rapher Carrie Mae Weems. Both
women have contributed ∂reatly to African-American art
and culture. The festivities continued with inspired words
from Alani Bass, a ∂raduate of the Museum’s Expanding
the Walls pro∂ram. The proceeds from the Luncheon
benefit the Museum’s education and public pro∂rams. Ð
Sponsor
Van Cleef & Arpels
Benefactor Table
Kathryn C. Chenault & Carol
Sutton Lewis
CNN
Debra L. Lee/BET Networks
Jeanne Greenber∂ Rohatyn
Ann Tenenbaum
Patron
Pe∂ Alston
Anonymous
Gayle Perkins Atkins
Jacqueline Avant
Barneys New York
Raquel Chevremont Baylor
Judia Black
Jacqueline L. Bradley
Judith Byrd-Blaylock
Alicia Bythewood
Amy Cappellazzo
Pippa Cohen
Harriette Cole
Amy Fine Collins
Malaak Compton-Rock
Pe∂∂y Cooper Davis
Dawn Lazette Davis
Muna El Fituri
Louise Eliasof
Susan Fales-Hill
Gwendolyn Frempon∂-Boadu
Glamour Ma∂azine
halley k. harrisbur∂
Joyce K. Haupt
Kim M. Heirston
Evelyn Day Lasry
Tonya Lewis Lee
Lehmann Maupin
Mar∂aret & Daniel Loeb
Catie Marron
Yolanda Baker Marshall
Crystal McCrary
Gin∂er McKni∂ht-Chavers
Jennifer McSweeney
Laura Michalchyshyn
Julie Minskoff
Judith Corrente/Monteforte
Foundation, Inc.
Brooke Neidich
Eliot Nolen
Holly Phillips, MD
Erica Reid
Marie Christmas Rhone
Deborah Roberts
May & Samuel Rudin Family
Foundation, Inc.
Jack Shainman Gallery
Courtney Sloane
Melissa Schiff Soros
Jane Sutherland/Saatchi & Saatchi
Tiffany & Co.
Merryl H. Tisch
Teri Trotter
Nicola Vassell
Lola C. West
Maureen White
Seana Linnehan Wood
Donor
Shelley Fox Aarons
Charwin A∂ard
Ifeoma Okoronkwo Aitkenhead
Rae Allen
Ariel Capital Mana∂ement, Inc.
Holly Block
Melva Bucksbaum
A∂nes Cammock
Bonita Coleman Stewart
Wendy Cromwell
Renee Cuttin∂/Ralph Lauren
Center for Cancer Care and
Prevention
Linda F. Daitz
Norma Jean Darden
Ria A. Davis
Adrienne Edwards
Elizabeth Epstein
Sima Familant
Erika N. Faust, DDS
Larry Ga∂osian
Cristina Grajales
Melanie Griffith
Laura Hope
Dr. Rosemarie In∂leton
Pe∂∂y Jacobs
Christina H. Kan∂
Katherine Mele
Sarah Gray Miller
Shala Monroque
Bonnie Morrison
Edris E. Nicholls
Marquita Pool-Eckert
Kim Powell
Yvonne Do∂∂hett Rhea
Austria Rodri∂uez-Vickers
Joanne Rosen
Fiona H. Rudin & Eric C. Rudin
Suzanne Randolph
Lisa Schiff
Michel Smalley
Diane Steiner
Rima Var∂as-Vetter
Maria Vecchiotti
Constance C.R. White
Veronica Wilson
Contributor
Patricia Blanchet
Michele Lallemand Brazil
Faith Hampton Childs
Lybra Clemons
Mary Sharp Cronson
Judith M. Davenport
Sara Fitzmaurice
Charlotte Ford
Kathy Fuld
Constance Belton Green
Bethann Hardison
Carla A. Harris
Cynthia Hazen Polsky
Marieluise Hessel
Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
The Mar∂aret & Daniel Loeb Third
Point Foundation
Gillian Miniter
Tamara Robinson
Vir∂inia Robinson
Daryl Roth
Jean Shafiroff
Elza R. Sharpe
Laura Skoler
Sharon G. Socol
Sophie Crichton Stuart
Brenda A. Thompson
Veronica Webb
67
Development News
Supporters 2007—08
The Board of Trustees and Director of The Studio
Museum in Harlem extend deep ∂ratitude to the donors
who supported the Museum from June 15, 2007, to
June 15, 2008. Ð
Supporters (June 15, 2007–June 15, 2008)
$500,000 & above
The New York City Department of
Cultural Affairs
Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone
Development Corporation
$100,000 to $499,999
Council Member Inez E. Dickens 9th C.D.
Speaker Christine Quinn &
the New York City Council
Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation
The Jacob & Gwendolyn
Kni∂ht Lawrence Trust
New York State Council on the Arts
Tar∂et
Wachovia Foundation
$50,000 to $99,999
Bloomber∂
Anne & Joel Ehrenkranz
Mitzi & Warren Eisenber∂
Joseph & Niki Gre∂ory
Carol Sutton Lewis & William M. Lewis, Jr.
Susan & Donald Newhouse
Ann G. Tenenbaum & Thomas H. Lee
Time Warner, Inc.
The Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize
$25,000 to $49,999
Anonymous
Altria Group, Inc.
American Express
Black Entertainment Television
Clarence Otis & Jacqueline Bradley
Kathryn C. & Kenneth Chenault
Pe∂∂y Cooper Davis & Gordon J. Davis/
LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae
Re∂inald E. Davis
The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc.
General Electric Company
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Graham Foundation for Advanced
Studies in the Fine Arts
Pierre and Maria-Gaetana Matisse
Foundation
Dr. Lisa Grain & David J. Grain
Hess Foundation, Inc.
Lehman Brothers
Macy’s Inc.
Tracy Maitland/Advent Capital
Mana∂ement
Raymond J. McGuire
MetLife Foundation
Rodney M. Miller
Mor∂an Stanley Foundation
MTV Networks
Nimoy Foundation
Peter Norton
Dr. Amelia O∂unlesi &
Adebayo O∂unlesi
Pepsi Cola North America
Van Cleef & Arpels, Inc.
Verizon Foundation
$10,000 to $24,999
Albion Gallery
The Athena Group LLC
Gayle Perkins Atkins & Charles Atkins
Bank of America Foundation
Barker Welfare Foundation
Dou∂las Baxter/PaceWildenstein
Carver Federal Savin∂s Bank
Cashin Family Fund
Amy Cappellazzo/Christie’s
The Colle∂e of New Rochelle
Consolidated Edison Company of
New York
The Cowles Charitable Trust
Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation
for the Arts
Draft, FCB
Susan Fales-Hill & Aaron Hill
Fellows of Contemporary Art
Skip Finley
Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, P.C.
Kathy & Richard S. Fuld Jr.
A∂nes Gund & Daniel Shapiro
Charles J. Hamilton, Jr. & Pamela
Carlton Hamilton/Paul, Hastin∂s,
Janofsky & Walker LLP
halley k. harrisbur∂ & Michael Rosenfeld
Joyce & Ira Haupt II
Health Insurance Plan of Greater
New York
Home Box Office
Von M. Hu∂hes/Pacific Alternative Asset
Mana∂ement Company
ING Foundation
Elise Jaffe + Jeffrey Brown
Jerome Foundation
KeySpan Foundation
Melva Bucksbaum & Raymond Learsy
Debra L. Lee /BET Networks
Toby D. Lewis Philanthropic Fund
Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Inc.
L’OREAL Retail Division
The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation
Donald & Catie Marron
Merrill Lynch & Co.
Moody’s Corporation/Noel Kirnon
Mondriaan Foundation
Brooke & Daniel Neidich
The New York Times
Jack O’Kelley III
Yoko Ono Lennon
Joseph Perella
Peter Norton Family Foundation
on behalf of Eileen Harris Norton
Corine Pettey
Pfizer, Inc.
The R & B Feder Charitable Foundation
for the Beaux Arts
Mr. & Mrs. Antonio Reid
Renate, Hans & Maria Hofmann Trust
Jeanne Greenber∂ Rohatyn &
Nicholas S. Rohatyn
Helena Rubinstein Foundation
May and Samuel Rudin Family
Foundation, Inc.
Charles Shorter & Suzanne Randolph
James H. Simmons III/
Apollo Real Estate Advisors
Charles E. Simpson
The Greenwall Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. John T. Thompson
Merryl H. Tisch
Turner Broadcastin∂ System, Inc.
UBS
Utendahl Capital Partners
Re∂inald Van Lee/Booz-Allen &
Hamilton Inc.
Jonathan White/Siebert Brandford
Shank & Co. LLC
Eric Woods
Xerox
$5,000 to $9,999
Anonymous
American Express Company
Philanthropic Pro∂ram
Corey M. Baylor &
Racquel Chevremont Baylor
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Black
Patricia Blanchet
Giulia G. Bor∂hese
Dr. Michelle Carlson
Pippa Cohen
Col∂ate Palmolive
Consulate-General of the Netherlands
Dunn and Brown Contemporary
Rebecca & Martin Eisenber∂
Barbara Gladstone
H. Van Amerin∂en Foundation
Alvin D. Hall
David W. Heleniak
Marieluise Hessel Artzt & Ed Artzt
James Cohan Gallery
Loida Nicolas Lewis
Crystal McCrary Anthony
Holly L. Phillips, M.D. & Jose L. Tavarez
Steve Rattner & Maureen White
Scripps Networks
Jack Shainman
Barbara Karp Shuster
James H. Simons
Melissa & Robert Soros
Ellen & Jerome L. Stern
The Buddy Taub Foundation
The Estate of Thelma E. Jack
Ann Walker Marchant
Tina R. Wynn
$1,000 to $4,999
Anonymous (3)
Debra T. Abell
Jacqueline Adams
Susan Akkad
Dr. Answorth A. Allen, M.D. &
Dr. Rae Wri∂ht-Allen
Pe∂ Alston & Willis Burton
Steven Ames
Chandra Anderson
Paola Antonelli & Larry Carty
Clarence Avant
Jemina R. Bernard
Ronald & Judith Blaylock
Lisa Bonner
Joseph Brazil & Michele Brazil
Deborah & Willard Brittain
Judith K. Brodsky
Dawn Brown
Valerie S. Brown
Dr. & Mrs. Daniel Bythewood, D.D.S.
The Carbetz Foundation
Harriette Cole
Amy Fine Collins
Columbia University
Malaak Compton-Rock
Anisa Costa
Wendy R. Credle
Lex Fenwick & Sophie Crichton Stuart
Mary S. Cronson
Leslie D. Danley
Dawn L. Davis & Mac LaFollette
Ria A. Davis
Evelyn Day Lasry
Deitch Projects
Nanne Dekkin∂ & Frank Li∂tvoet
Willie E. Dennis
Brickson E. Diamond
Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvo∂el
DirecTV
Jack Drake
David C. Driskell
Maurice & Andrea DuBois
Blair M. Duncan
Michael Eberstadt
Muna El Fituri
Louise Eliasof
Kim M. Evans
The Evelyn Sharp Foundation
Rita & Waldo Falkener
Ronald Feldman
Dr. & Mrs. Harold P. Freeman
Anthony K. Frempon∂-Boadu
Galerie Lelon∂
LaRue R. Gibson, Jr.
Robert Gober & Donald Moffett
Marian Goodman
Maryellen Gordon
David Alan Grier
Charles Guice
Samuel L. Guillory, MD
James & Sezelle Haddon
Ira & Carole Hall
Carla Harris & Victor Franklin
Lawrence Harris
Homer M. Hasbrouck
Cynthia Hazen Polsky
Steven P. Henry
Herman Goldman Foundation
Hallie S. Hobson
Helen Hostin
Pe∂∂y Jacobs
Johnson & Johnson
Fernanda Kello∂∂/Tiffany & Co.
Mr. & Mrs. Geor∂e L. Knox
Nancy L. Lane
Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
Tonya Lewis Lee & Spike Lee
Le∂∂ Mason Capital Mana∂ement
Lenox Terrace Development
Association
Dorothy Lichtenstein
Daniel Loeb
The Honorable & Mrs. Earle I. Mack
Lydia Mallett
Fabian Marcaccio
Yolanda & Meredith Marshall
David Maupin
Brookie Maxwell
Dou∂las E. McIntosh
Gin∂er McKni∂ht-Chavers &
Kevin G. Chavers
Jennifer McSweeney & Peter Reuss
Spencer Means
Dr. Joseph Mele & Katherine Mele
Richard & Ronay Menschel
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Laura Michalchyshyn
Gre∂ory Miller
Harvey S. Shipley Miller
Sarah G. Miller
Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation
Julie Minskoff
Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Mohr
Monteforte Foundation, Inc.
Brid∂et Moore & Edward DeLuca
Lesia B. Moss
Mr. & Mrs. Joel Motley
Maryanne Mott
Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe
Ruthard C. Murphy II
Madeline Murphy-Rabb
Mr. & Mrs. Wilson Nolen
Laura & Richard D. Parsons
Lisa & Richard Perry
Karen A. Phillips
William Pickens
Marquita J. Pool-Eckert & Knut Eckert
Kim Powell-Jaulin
Dr. & Mrs. Raymond W. Ransom, M.D.
Janelle Reirin∂
Marie Christmas Rhone
Brendon Riley
Tamara Robinson
David Rockefeller
Michael S. Rockefeller
Al Roker & Deborah Roberts
Daryl & Steven Roth
Beth Rudin DeWoody/
May and Samuel Rudin Family
Foundation, Inc.
Leslie A. Saint Louis, MD
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Sanders
Lisa Schiff
John Silberman
Marsha E. Simms
Laura Skoler
Skyline Title, LLC
Courtney Sloane
Richard Solomon
Robert Steele, MD & Jean E. Steele
Suzanne Slesin & Michael Steinber∂
Bonita Stewart
Lowery Stokes Sims
Charles D. Storer, Jr. & June Kelly
Jane Sutherland
Renee H. Sutton
David Tei∂er
The Mar∂aret & Daniel Loeb Third Point
Foundation
Derrick Thompson
Teri & Lloyd Trotter
Isabel & David Ushery
An∂ela Vallot
Nicola Vassell
Ancy Verdier, D.M.V.
Jeanette Wa∂ner
Alan Wanzenber∂
Mr. & Mrs. Milton Washin∂ton
Veronica Webb
Ted & Nina Wells
Lola C. West
Christopher Williams
Dawanna Williams
E. T. & Lyn Williams
Deborah Willis
Ro∂er Wood
$500 to $999
Philip E. Aarons & Dr. Shelley Fox Aarons
Charwin A∂ard
Ifeoma O. Aitkenhead
Ariel Capital Mana∂ement, LLC
Ms. Shahnaz Batman∂helidj
Holly Block
Geor∂e H. Butcher &
Brenda Jackson Butcher
Carla Camacho
A∂nes Cammock
Lybra Clemons
Bonita Coleman
Susan Courtemanche
Wendy Cromwell
Renee Cuttin∂
Norma Jean Darden & Joshua Givens
Yvonne Do∂∂ett-Rhea
Thomas E. Dyja & Suzanne Gluck
Adrienne Edwards
Elizabeth Epstein
Estate of Irene Wheeler
Sima Familant
Erika Faust
Arthur Fleischer
Susan K. Freedman
Larry Ga∂osian
Dr. & Mrs. Warren Goins
Cristina Grajales
Melanie Griffith
Mellody Hobson
Laura Hope
Rosemarie In∂leton
Christina H. Kan∂
Miyoun∂ Lee
Rachel Lehmann & David Maupin
David McKee
Shala Monroque
Bonnie Morrison
The New York Community Trust
Edris E. Nicholls
Susan & Leonard Nimoy
Courtney Plummer
Nicole Polletta
Ernesta G. Procope
Austria Rodri∂uez-Vickers
Joanne Rosen
Eric Rudin
Jean Shafiroff
Cindy Sherman
Jane Sinnenber∂
Michel Smalley
Mr. & Mrs. Howard Socol
Susan M. Sosnick
Diane Steiner
Marion B. Stroud
Mickalene Thomas
Rima Var∂as-Vetter
Maria Vecchiotti
Constance White
Veronica Wilson
Yoruba Initiative
Up to $499
Anonymous
Cynthia D. Adams
DD Allen
Gloria Au∂ustine
Wanda Baker-Smith
Jo-Anne L. Bates
Christopher Bertholf
Rosemary Blake
Cynthia Blanchard
Luca Bonetti
Karen D. Brame
Anne B. Cammack
Drs. Geor∂e & Mary Schmidt Campbell
Adrienne L. Childs
Faith Hampton Childs
Geraldine G. Clark
Evelyn Clarke
James Cole
James P. Comer
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Cornwell
Judith Corrente
Sidney Cusberth
Adrienne Daniel-Grist
Elizabeth Dasilva
David Davenport
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Davenport, Sr.
Yvonne Davis
Deutsche Bank
Gloria H. Dickinson
Elaine G. Drummond
Mr. & Mrs. William E. Edmondson
Constance C. Ellis
Geor∂ia E. Ellis
Lewis Erskine
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Evans
Cheryl Finley
Mr. & Mrs. E.W. Finley, Jr.
Leslie A. Fleuran∂es
Charlotte F. & Bill Ford
Vilma E. France
Marilyn L. Francis
Dr. Patricia A. Fraser, M.D.
Robeson Frazier
Carol Fulp
Ronald T. Gault
Jovoda O. Gayle
GlaxoSmithKline
Arthur A. Goldber∂
Sunny Y. Goldber∂
Leonard T. Goslee
Constance & Alan E. Green
Cheryll Y. Greene
Sandra Grymes
Bethann Hardison
Susan Harris
Seymour C. Heck
Alanna Heiss
Rhona Hoffman
Mr. & Mrs. Irwin J. Holmes
Consuelo Hud∂ins
IBM Corporation Matchin∂
Grants Pro∂ram
Dr. Christopher A. Johnson
Ernestine Johnson
Jane Johnson
Jeh Johnson
Francine E. Kelly
M. David Lee
Ilene Leff
Tanya C. Lewis
Charisse R. Lillie
Frank C. Mahon
Sherry Mallin
Lovanese Malone
Jonnie C. Marshall
Daisy W. Martin
Cassandra A. Matthews
Sheila McDaniel
Alma R. Miller
Mary Miller-Maynard
Gillian Miniter
Dr. Kenneth Monta∂ue
Myrna E. Morris
Frank Morrison
Mildred R. Murphy
New York Life Insurance Company
Monica Parham
Robin Pea∂ler
Fannie Porter
Leonard H. Ptaschnik
Floree Roberson
Vir∂inia Robinson
Mildred B. Roxborou∂h
Baraka Sele
Dr. William Seraile
Elza R. Sharpe
Stephen Sherrill
Elyse Sinclair
Marylin Slater
Vir∂inea Stuart
Clara D. Sujo
Edward M. Swan
The Paris A∂ency
Larry D. Thompson
Jacqueline Tu∂∂le
Jolene Vessup
Ernestine Washin∂ton
Yelberton Watkins
Landon H. Wickham
Ayesha Williams
Francille Wilson
Lana Woods
Mildred Yearby
In-Kind
Christiania Vodka
Dafina Harlem
Starr African Rum
The Studio Museum in Harlem makes
every effort to ensure the accuracy of
its lists of supporters. If your name is
not listed as you prefer or if you believe
that your name has been omitted,
please let us know by contactin∂ the
Development Office at 212.864.4500 x221
or [email protected]∂.
69
Development News
Member Spotli∂ht
Museum Store
Introducing
By Hand Clothin∂
by Katie Skelly, Development Assistant
Do you currently or have you ever lived in Harlem?
I was born in Harlem. My father was an electrician and owned
a business in Harlem for fifty years. I lived in the Vir∂in Islands
for about seventeen or ei∂hteen years, but I came back to
Harlem in 1979. Now I live in Washin∂ton Hei∂hts.
Photo: Katie Skelly
Member’s Name
Dorothy Divins
Membership Level
Senior
How lon∂ have you been a member of The Studio
Museum in Harlem?
I joined the Studio Museum as a member twenty-three
years a∂o—1985.
Why did you become a member? I thou∂ht it was a ∂ood
way to support what ∂oes on in Harlem. I especially liked
the idea of the family pro∂rams. I also love Hoofers’ House!
I’m ∂lad the Museum has stayed here and broadened its
horizons in Harlem.
What is your favorite exhibition or experience so far?
I always enjoy the Artist-in-Residence pro∂ram. I particularly
remember seein∂ the work of a youn∂ man, David
Hammons (artist in residence 1980-81). I still have a poster
from his exhibition in 1985.
What made you renew your membership all these
years? I continue to renew because I’m interested in the
way that the Studio Museum is always updatin∂ itself. I like it!
Development News
UMEZ ∂rant
This sprin∂, The Studio Museum in Harlem received a
$1.7 million multiyear ∂rant from the Upper Manhattan
Empowerment Zone Development Corporation (UMEZ).
UMEZ is a federal, state and city a∂ency that seeks to
revitalize distressed communities by usin∂ ∂eo∂raphically
tar∂eted public funds and tax incentives as catalysts
for private investment. The ∂rant to The Studio Museum
in Harlem will be used to support our institutional stabilization by fundin∂ personnel, consultants, equipment,
market research, product development and licensin∂.
The ∂rant will ∂reatly enhance our pro∂rams and allow us
to continue the le∂acy of supportin∂ the work of artists
of African descent and presentin∂ art to the Harlem
community. Throu∂h these efforts, the Museum enhances 125th Street’s stature as a premier arts, culture and
entertainment destination. Ð
This season the Studio Museum is pleased to feature
Introducing, a new initiative to hi∂hli∂ht and support
the work of youn∂ emer∂in∂ desi∂ners. For its
inau∂ural installment we introduce to you desi∂ner
Jenevieve Reid, whose By Hand Clothin∂ is available
in the Museum Store.
still lies in the transfer between us and you, the creator
and the owner. As a consumer with a∂ency, you have the
choice of browsin∂ our stock and choosin∂ a ∂arment
preconceived, or of requestin∂ a piece made just for you.
In this way, we create compositions and color schemes
for you and a select few to enjoy.
By Hand Clothin∂ is about color, pattern and individuality.
It all be∂an with the mother of By Hand, Jenevieve
Reid, cuttin∂ and sewin∂, stencilin∂ and paintin∂ her
way to the perfect formula. From spray cans to screen
print, By Hand has ∂rown into its own entity, pickin∂ up
a few friends and some new techniques alon∂ the way.
Throu∂hout the pro∂ression, the essence of By Hand
We all take the occasional moment to admire someone’s
beauty or an eye-catchin∂ piece of clothin∂. What you
wear is essentially a reflection of who you are, so seize the
opportunity to intensify that reflection. Show your colors:
you should be part of what you wear. Ð
The By Hand Family
www.byhandclothin∂co.com
Museum Store
The titles on your bookshelves and the objects in your home help describe who you
are—what is most important and relevant to you in this world. While each person’s
collection is distinct and personal, we’ve assembled here a diverse, beautiful and
handy mix of books and items available in the Studio Museum Store.
W!
NE
La∂os ~ Dakar
Kehinde Wiley
The catalo∂ue features full-color
reproductions of all work included in the
exhibition, and essays by Robert Hobbs,
Tavia Nyon∂’o and Krista A. Thompson
and a conversation between Christine Y.
Kim, Malik Gaines and Kehinde Wiley.
The catalo∂ue also includes a checklist
of works and the artist’s bio∂raphy.
Flow
Item# 1087 Price $30.00 Member $25.00
The full-color catalo∂ue features reproductions
of work in the exhibition and essays on each of the
twenty artists by contemporary historians, critics
and writers, includin∂ Vir∂inie Andriamirado, Rory
Bester, Elizabeth Harney, Sarah Kent, Mariam Sharp
and Kristina Van Dyke.
Frequency
The fully illustrated 120-pa∂e catalo∂ue features
full-color reproductions of all work included in the
exhibition and essays by Thelma Golden, Franklin
Sirmans, Malik Gaines, Dominic Molon, Sarah Lewis
and Aimee Chan∂. The catalo∂ue also includes a
checklist of works and artists’ bio∂raphies.
Freestyle
The 90-pa∂e full-color catalo∂ue features color
and black-and-white reproductions of works from
the exhibition, essays by various authors includin∂
Thelma Golden and Hamza Walker, a checklist of
works and artists’ bio∂raphies.
Store Hours
Wednesday-Friday, 12—6 pm
Saturday, 10—6 pm, Sunday, 12—6 pm
The Museum Store is closed on Monday, Tuesday and major holidays
Kori Newkirk 1997–2007
The approximately 130-pa∂e catalo∂ue is the first
major publication devoted to Newkirk’s work. It includes
essays by Huey Copeland, Dominic Molon, Deborah
Willis and Thelma Golden; full-color reproductions of
work included in the exhibition; a complete checklist of
works and the artist’s bio∂raphy.
Ener∂y/Experimentation: Black Artists and
Abstraction, 1964-1980
The approximately 150-pa∂e catalo∂ue, includes fullcolor reproductions of all work included in the exhibition; essays by Kellie Jones, Lowery Stokes Sims, Guthrie
Ramsey and Courtney J. Martin; a complete checklist
of works and artists’ bio∂raphies.
Philosophy of Time Travel: Ed∂ar Arceneaux,
Vincent Galen Johnson, Ol∂a Koumoundouros,
Rodney McMillian and Matthew Sloly
The approximately 112-pa∂e full-color catalo∂ue
includes reproductions of work included in the
exhibition and essays by Lowery Stokes Sims,
Hilton Als and Christine Y. Kim
Africa Comics Or∂anized in conjunction with
Africa e Mediterrano, Bolo∂na
The approximately 200-pa∂e catalo∂ue includes
essays by Africa e Mediterraneo, Mary An∂ela
Schroth, Massimo Repetti, Sandra Federici, Okwui
Enwezor, Calvin Reid and Valerie Cassel Oliver. It also
includes full-color reproductions of all work included
in the exhibition, En∂lish translations, a complete
checklist of works and artists’ bio∂raphies.
Join us
online!
The Membership Department is deli∂hted to
let you know that The Studio Museum in
Harlem’s website now includes the ability to
join the Museum or renew your membership
with a credit card online. Usin∂ your American
Express, MasterCard or Visa, you can now safely and quickly join and be entitled to a host of
membership benefits—includin∂ free admission, Museum store discounts and more—while
lendin∂ critical support to the Museum and its
pro∂rams. Visit our membership pa∂e at www.
studiomuseum.or∂/membership and see just
how easy it is.
Group Tours
at the Studio Museum
Get the most out of your visit to The Studio
Museum in Harlem throu∂h our excitin∂ interactive ∂roup tours! We welcome ∂roups to
experience the exhibitions and Harlem’s rich
architectural landscape. To schedule a tour,
please call 212.864.4500 x230.
Volunteer at the
Studio Museum!
It is no secret that our volunteers are a valuable part of the Museum staff. With their ∂enerous support, hard work and commitment, we
are able to nurture talented artists of African
descent and or∂anize en∂a∂in∂ events for the
∂reater community.
If you are interested in becomin∂ a volunteer,
please join us on Thursday, July 24 at 5:30pm
for a tour of our ∂allery. Stay for a reception
where you can learn more about the unique
ways to volunteer at The Studio Museum in
Harlem.
For more information and to RSVP please
contact us at [email protected]∂
or 212.864.4500 x258.
Yes! I want to be a member of
The Studio Museum in Harlem.
1 year renewal ∂ift
N A M E O F M EM B ER S H I P H O L D ER
N A M E O F A D D ITI O N A L M EM B ER ( FA M I LY/ PA RT N ER L E V EL M EM B ER S A N D A B OV E )
A D D R ES S
C IT Y
S TAT E
WO R K PH O N E
H O M E PH O N E
ZI P
EM A I L A D D R ES S
Please do not make my name, address and other information
available to third-party providers.
Special Membership Groups
Director’s Circle $2,500
Curator’s Circle $1,500
Contemporary Friends
Couple $300
Individual $200
General Membership Groups
Benefactor $1,000
Donor $500
Associate $250
Supporter $100
Family/Partner $75
Individual $50
Student $20
Senior $20
Payment Method
I have enclosed my check
(make check payable to The Studio Museum in Harlem)
Please bill my:
American Express MasterCard Visa
N A M E O F C A R D H O L D ER
A D D R ES S
C IT Y
S TAT E
WO R K PH O N E
H O M E PH O N E
C A R D N U M B ER
E X P. DAT E
ZI P
S I ∂ N AT U R E
Did you know you can join online at
www.studiomuseum.or∂/membership
Thank you for your support and welcome to The Studio
Museum in Harlem! The Studio Museum in Harlem offers the best
way to explore black culture and the latest trends in contemporary art!
Special
Membership
Groups
Visitor
Information
turin∂ Alani Bass , Mi∂uel Calderon,
Cat Chow and Felicia Me∂∂inson;
StudioSound with Rich Medina; and
Eye Notes,
featurin∂ the work of
Address
our youn∂est
in residence,”
144 W. “artists
125th St.
Members of the Director’s Circle and
the
hi∂h
school
participants
New
York,
NY
10027of our
Curator’s Circle are the hi∂hest level of
Expanding
the Walls
pro∂ram.
individual membership and the startin∂
(between
Malcolm
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Individual $50
(Fully tax-deductible)
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year,
Leslie
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Adam C. Powell Jr.
boulevards)
General Info
phone: 212.864.4500
fax: 212.864.4800
SMH Board of
Museum
TrusteesHours
Wednesday–Friday, 12–6 pm
Chairman 10 am–6 pm
Saturday,
Raymond12–6
J. McGuire
Sunday,
pm
Vice-Chair
Target
Free Sundays!
James VanDerZee / Band Leader leading Band / 1932 / Courtesy Donna Mussenden VanDerZee
From the Director
Group
Membership
Carol Sutton Lewis
The Museum is closed on Monday,
Treasurer
Tuesday
and major holidays.
Re∂inald Van Lee
Secretary
Store
Hours
Anne B. Ehrenkranz
Wednesday- Friday, 12—6 pm
Saturday,
10—6
pm
Gayle Perkins
Atkins
Sunday,
12—6
pm
Jacqueline
L. Bradley
Kathryn
C. Chenault
The
Museum
Store is closed on Monday,
Tuesday
major holidays
Gordonand
J. Davis
of this ma∂azine) with their new work
Susan Fales-Hill
Family/Partner $75
$2,500that
in New Director’s
Intuitions.Circle
I am thrilled
In these pa∂es you will see addiDr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Admission
($2,135
tax-deductible)
Media Contact
they share the ∂alleries this sumtional excitin∂
features hi∂hli∂htin∂
Sandra Grymes
Su∂∂ested
donation:
All
the
precedin∂
benefits,
plus:

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Summer 2008 Studio
x213pro∂ram,
Joyce
K. Haupt
World
Stage:
Africa,
alumni212.864.4500
of our foundational
$7
(adults),
$3 (seniors and
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or The
viewin∂s
of their
collections.
[email protected]∂
same address and children under 18
Lagos
Dakar, a solo exhibition by
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includin∂
Alison Saar (1983–84) and
students).
Free for members
This yearyears
(2008–09)
Geor∂e L. Knox
of a∂e. marks the
art connoisseurs and curators.
Wardell
Milan
II
(2006–07).
Also,
I
am
and
children (12 and under).
Public
Pro∂rams
Info
Nancy L. Lane
fortieth anniversary of The Studio
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Supporter $100
thrilled212.864.4500
to offer you a sneak
x264peek at
Dr. Michael L. Lomax
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Museum in Harlem. Over the past
studiomuseum.or∂
($85 tax-deductible)
travel pro∂rams or∂anized by SMH. our newest artist-in-residence initiaTracy Maitland
four decades,
the
Museum
has
Membership
Info
All the precedin∂ benefits, plus:
7\dWbObW]\ab]c\W_cSSdS\baT]`2W`SQ-tive, the benefit print series. Leslie,
Rodney M. Miller
achieved
so
much,
and
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the
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tor’s Circle only.
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accomplishments
which
we are
Curator’s Circle $1,500
printer Jean-Yves Noblet, have
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most proud is the amazin∂ success
Corine Pettey
($1,300 tax-deductible)
Reciprocal Pro∂ram member musecreated a limited-edition trio of
Charles A. Shorter, Jr.
of our Artist-in-Residence
pro∂ram.
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ums (list available upon
request)
prints that will be available for purAnn Tenenbaum
or tour.
Early participants have ∂one on to
Associate $250
chase Subway:
this summer.
John T. Thompson
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achieve iconic status, and recent
art connoisseurs and curators.
Michael Winston
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All the precedin∂ benefits, plus: 2001–02
artist in residence Kehinde Finally, this summer we launch a new
ex-officio
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rary art
by storm. This sum /RdO\QSO\\]c\QS[S\b]Ta^SQWOZ
world
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Wiley. The exhibition features new
and excitin∂ partnership that promHon. Kate D. Levin
travel pro∂rams or∂anized by SMH.
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mer’s exhibitions
and this issue of
ex-officio
paintin∂s from his travels last year to ises toto
125thand
Street
expand
enrich our eduaccompanied by a member.
Studio are positively brimmin∂ with
Karen A. Phillips
Ni∂eriaContemporary
and Sene∂al. Friends
cational
and
public
initiatives.
Target
Bus:
(a∂es 21–40) Contemporary Friends is
fantasticDonor
work $500
by past and present
Free
Sundays
at
the
Studio
Museum
tax-deductible)
a dynamic membership ∂roup of youn∂
M-2, M-7, M-10, M-60, M-100, M-102
or BX-15.
Studio
artists in($450
residence.
professionals who contribute to manylaunches July 20 with free admission
Editor-in-chief
Parkin∂
is
available
at
the
Municipal
Gara∂e
at 126th Street
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new and excitin∂ initiatives at SMH. The
and pro∂rams every Sunday!
Ali Evans
Directions
between Malcolm X and Adam C. Powell Jr. boulevards.
Contemporary Friends represent the fuMana∂in∂ editor
ture in charitable ∂ivin∂ at the museum.
Tiffany Hu
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126 ST
Editor at lar∂e
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special events.
Samir S. Patel
Benefactor $1,000
Roundin∂
our summer exhibitions
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Art Direction and Desi∂n
exhibitions.
are R.S.V.P.,
in which Rashawn Griffin
The Map Office, New York
D
(artist in
residence
2005–06) has
Ori∂inal Desi∂n Concept
Thelma Golden
Individual
$200

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The annual Artist-in-Residence
2x4, New York
tax-deductible)
created($175
a new
work in response to
Director and Chief Curator
behind-the-scenes tour of SMH exhibi-
Studio is published three times
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#RWaQ]c\b]\OZZ[caSc[ab]`S
This
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The Studio Museum in Harlem is deeply ∂rateful to the followin∂ institutional donors for their
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All
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Please email comments to
of the publisher.
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of exhibitions.
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Tar∂et
The Studio Museum in Harlem is supported, in part, with public funds provided by the followin∂
Thelma’s photo /
accompanied by a member.
matchin∂ ∂ift pro∂ram? If so, you canTimothy
∂overnment a∂encies and elected representatives:
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in the Fine Arts
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Time Warner, Inc.
4
5
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ho
Matchin∂ Gifts
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Nic
education or public pro∂ram.
4`SSOR[WaaW]\T]`be]¡cSabaeVS\
St
exhibition
is always
one
of thecurator.
most
tions
led by the
show’s
Sen∂a Nen∂udi’s
work$300
R.S.V.P. V
Couple/Partner
anticipated
and excitin∂ hi∂hli∂hts
=\SQ][^ZW[S\bO`gQObOZ]¡cST`][O
tax-deductible)
(1976);($250
Collection
in Context: Four
majorMuseum
SMH exhibition.
of the Studio
season. This
(For two people at the same address)
Be]Q][^ZW[S\bO`gbWQYSbab]O\ Decades; Harlem Postcards, fea-
Convent Ave
catalo∂ue.
4]c`¡cSab^OaaSaT]`T`WS\Ra
and families.
/\\cOZW\dWbObW]\b]OPSVW\RbVS
scenes tour of an SMH exhibition led
by a museum curator.