Color Real and Imagined. Carrie Mae Weems, artist
Opening on Tuesday, February 1, and running through April 29, the WCU Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center presents Carrie Mae Weems: The Usual Suspects. A contemporary artist, Weems explores power and privilege through the lens of family relationships, cultural identity, sexism, class and political systems. “Weems’ work promises to ignite an important dialogue about race,” says Carolyn Grosch, curator of collections and exhibitions at Bardo Arts Center. “Her work asks visitors to acknowledge the Black lives that have been lost at the hands of police and to reflect on how assumptions about race can impact our thoughts and actions.”
This exhibition will include photo and video works by Weems that pose questions about the stereotypical association between black bodies and criminality. The images are from three projects by Weems: All the Boys; The Usual Suspects; and People of a Darker Hue. Carrie Mae Weems: The Usual Suspects is curated by Courtney Taylor and organized by LSU Museum of Art in collaboration with LSU College of Art + Design and the LSU School of Art.
Weems has been making her discourse-inspiring art works for more than 30 years. In 2013, she received a MacArthur “Genius Grant” as well as the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award. She’s also been honored by the Prix de Roma, the National Endowment of the Arts and the Alpert. Her work has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Solomon Guggenheim Museum in New York, among many others, and is represented in many permanent collections as well.
“This entire spring line-up of exhibitions encourages visitors to feel a sense of empathy and shared humanity toward one another,” says Grosch. “With Weems’ work, this starts with the recognition that there are patterns of violence in our policing systems that are directed toward Black bodies. She asks us to remember the individuals who have died, to question these patterns of violence and ultimately to see the value of a human life.”
Check the website for details about a reception for this exhibition. The WCU Bardo Arts Center is located at 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee. Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information about programming, call 828.227.2787 or visit BardoArtsCenter.wcu.edu.
