Black and Bold: Notions of Blackness

Black and Bold: Notions of Blackness constructs narratives of Black identity through various expressions of Black joy and celebration, and through internal and external confrontations of Blackness. With a basis in two previous exhibitions taking place during Black History Month, artists navigate Blackness beyond the month, creating space for open and active dialogue through visual arts, written word and performance; reaffirming the importance of continued Black self expression.

Grounded by experiences of Blackness, artists marry aspects of cultural heritage with social and personal signifiers. With playful imaginings of sapphic expression in the context of Caribbean culture, to zines that contextualize the identity of the artist or imagined. Artists welcome viewers to examinations of colonialism directly through a call to action or indirectly in which the artist examines the cultural and oppressive weight of hair in the Black community. Spirituality and mysticism is interpreted artistically in the context of grief and as it relates to generational pain. Finally, negative depictions of Black people are challenged by which Black women are celebrated for their softness and images of Black men in brotherhood with one another are highlighted.

Black and Bold: Notions of Blackness highlights diverse expressions of Black identity through various artistic mediums, encouraging reflections on cultural heritage and societal issues, while inviting conversation about joy, colonialism, and the weight of identity within the Black community.