Latest News in Black Art features news updates and developments in the world of art and related culture
Tau Lewis in her Brooklyn, N.Y., studio. | Photo by Flo Ngala, Courtesy National Gallery of Canada
Representation
Jamaican-Canadian artist Tau Lewis is now represented by Stephen Friedman Gallery in London. Lewis makes hand-stitched, sculptural portraits and quilts composed of upcycled materials sourced from Toronto, New York, and Negril, Jamaica, locations with personal meaning. The works “reference individuals within her immediate community as well as imagined ancestors; they are ‘celestial bodies’ or talismans who act as spiritual conduits between the past, present and future.” She was featured in “Threadbare,” a group exhibition at Stephen Friedman earlier this year. Her solo exhibition “Tau Lewis: Symphony” is on view at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, through Sept. 26. Lewis lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Awards & Honors
HOUSING gallery received The Armory Show’s 2021 Gramercy International Prize. The prize supports the first-time participation of a young, trailblazing New York gallerist in The Armory Show. HOUSING co-founder KJ Freeman is presenting works by artists Allana Clarke and Nathaniel Oliver at the art fair in September. Read Interviews
Silver Art Projects announced the 25 artists selected for its 2021 residency program, including Lindsey Collins, Chase Hall, Alexander Harrison, Jiori Minaya, and Jared Owens. With a focus on social justice and activism, the residency provides studio space for up to 10 months at the World Trade Center with sweeping views of New York City along with mentorship from Hank Willis Thomas, Tourmaline, and Chella Man. See Full List
From left, Christopher Blay is the incoming chief curator at the Houston Museum of African American Culture and Patrick Patrong is the first chief diversity officer at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. | Courtesy and VMFA
Appointments
Chicago-based Mariane Ibrahim announced Laura Turcan as the new director of the gallery’s second location in Paris, France. Turcan previously served as director at Galerie Chantal Crousel in Paris for seven years. “J’ai Deaux Amours,” the inaugural exhibition at Mariane Ibrahim Paris opens Sept. 18.
Christopher Blay is joining the Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) as chief curator. A writer and curator, Blay is currently an art critic and news editor at Glasstire, an online magazine that covers visual arts in Texas. Previously, he spent a decade as curator at Art Corridor Galleries at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth. Blay starts at HMAAC Sept. 1. | Loredo Morning Times
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond, Va., named Patrick Patrong chief diversity officer and assistant deputy director for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and HR Strategic Initiatives, a newly created position. His consulting firm, Patrong Enterprises Inc., provides organizational and employee development services. Patrong has also led training at the Virginia Department of Transportation and Virginia Department of Emergency Management. As director of Organization and Employee Development at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, he managed diversity initiatives for seven professional schools. Patrong joins VMFA on July 26.
More News
LVMH acquired a majority stake in Off White, Virgil Abloh‘s luxury streetwear brand. The deal also gives Abloh the artistic director of Louis Vuitton men’s wear, which is also owned by LVMH, a larger creative and business role at the conglomerate, across additional categories, including hospitality and wine and spirits. “I’m getting a seat at the table,” Abloh said. | New York Times
Shortly after Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona (Macba) appointed Elvira Dyangani Ose to be its next director, the first woman and first Black person to serve in the post, Macba dismissed its chief curator, Tanya Barson, and Pablo Martínez, head of programs, via email on July 16. | The Art Newspaper
Opportunities
The California African American Museum in Los Angeles is looking for a new deputy director and chief curator. | More Info
The Brooklyn Arts Council is accepting applications for 2022 grants from its Creative Equations Fund, which is dedicated to arts for social justice. Grants range from $2,500-$10,000. Brooklyn-based artists, small arts organizations, cultural entrepreneurs, and researchers dedicated to social justice are eligible. Application deadline is Sept. 17, 2021. | More Info
The Chicago-based Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) issued a call for applications for its SAH IDEAS Research Fellowships for emerging scholars from historically marginalized backgrounds. The fellowship supports research that “challenges existing paradigms” and “represents previously underrecognized and/or unsupported directions for architectural history.” Fellowships include a $1,000 award and mentorship. Application deadline is Aug. 31, 2021. | More Info CT
FILM | The latest project from artist and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Garrett Bradley (director of “Time”) is a new documentary about tennis champion Naomi Osaka. It debuted on Netflix July 16, 2021. | Video by Netflix
