This is what I know about art

Carolyn Mims Lawrence

Black Children Keep Your Spirits Free, 1972

This work really called to me with its vibrancy and clear message to black children to keep their spirits free. With images of dance movements and music being played it connects to that freedom felt in those actions. This piece so you over and over to be free and provide me with illustration on ways, you can feel free, and allow your spirit to be free. Giving it a second look it reminds me of The scene in Sinners where everyone is feeling the music and dancing like there is no tomorrow.

 

“I retorted, explaining that I was upset the conversation had quickly turned into a support circle for white guilt.He looked at me and said, “If you wanted to be in a classroom with other students of color then you should not have enrolled in art history classes””

I’m I’m glad I have not come across a professor who had said something to make me feel excluded from the group. She continued to see the lack of representation of POC’s in museums and her academic studies. I assume there were not many instances where the art presented in her art history class surrounded cultural conversations, such as this moment. I wonder how the conversation could have shifted away from white guilt and towards learning, understanding, and comradery.

 

“And, as if to add insult to injury, the curatorial committee invited the white male artist Joe Scanlon to be in the biennial under the pseudonym Donnelle Woolford, a fictional Black woman artist who was brought to life by Black women actresses on Joe’s payroll.”

Kimberly, bringing up the gorilla girls arguments and facts that these shows where not becoming as inclusive as they could be, just received another show with the same issues. My mouth physically dropped by shock and audacity of this white male artist portrayed himself as a black woman. Sure he employed black women through the process, but I believe they should have had a more creative input or even their names shared instead of a false pseudonym. I can understand making art to uplift another culture or display the intersections between the two but two take the platform away from an actual black woman Left me aghast 

“And, as the late artist, Thornton dial once said, if there is one thing that you can do, leave something for somebody else… you can work for somebody else’s freedom. You can leave something for somebody else’s child..

Regardless, if we are venturing into art, activism, artivism, or anything that you’re passionate about, it is important to uplift your people on the way and educate the younger generations. Passing down knowledge and stories and art is a means of consolidating others who need to see someone like themselves achieving things and being unapologetically themselves.

I think I would like to do more research in different circles of art therapy. I have seen groups create accounts, share videos, and do lives as well as host events to support the arts in a Therapeutic space. There is many artworks out there that individuals and groups have created through art therapy or have unintentionally correlated to a therapeutic process. I think it can help inform others of ways that they can do it themselves or within their communities. I personally hope to create one of my own events where people can enjoy a safe space to create art.