Shumate Council member, Simone Drake, during her gallery talk, Thursday, September 27

There are so many #soBlack happenings this month. Check out the list below. Many of these events are free. Join us.

Mickalene Thomas: I Can’t See You Without Me
September 14th, 2018 – December 30th, 2018

Visit the Wexner Center gallery to view Mickalene Thomas’s exhibit I Can’t See You Without Me! Thomas presents textured, three-dimensional paintings that explore sexuality, gender, and race; in addition to contemplating these intersecting identities, her layered portraits highlight the dynamic interaction between artist and muse. In each gallery, Thomas interacts with a different muse. She moves from her late mother, Sandra; to herself; to Maya, her former girlfriend; and then to Racquel, her current partner. With these women, Thomas honors their narratives, critiquing a history of representation that excludes Black women.

The exhibit also features an audio tour—the voices of Thomas, Raquel, and Dionne Custer Edwards will lead you through each gallery. Follow this sonic accompaniment as you view Thomas’s striking portraits of Black women who fiercely and exuberantly gaze, laugh, and feel through rhinestone-filled canvases.

*October 4th, 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Mickalene Thomas and Grammy-Award winner and artist Terri Lyne Carrington will perform live on October 4th, captivating audiences with entrepe, a work that dovetails with the spirit of Thomas’s show, I Can’t See You Without Me.
Tickets are currently on sale.
https://wexarts.org/special-events/mickalene-thomas-and-terri-lyne-carrington

October 4th and October 14th
Wexner also regularly holds walk-in tours of Thomas’s work on Thu. Oct. 4th, 6:00 pm and Sun. Oct. 14th, 1:00 pm.
https://wexarts.org/exhibitions/mickalene-thomas-i-cant-see-you-without-me

On Pause
Join Deja and Monique of Replenish Spa every Wednesday during the run of the current exhibition, 12pm-1pm, for a midday break to observe art, focus inward with the power of meditation, and enjoy healthy conversation with members of the community. Discussion and meditation instruction is a part of each session, and you can drop in at your convenience and participate at any time during the hour. Participants gather at the gallery entrance at noon. On Pause will work with a different artwork each week. Participants arriving later will be guided to our gallery location by staff. October 26, On Pause will hold a special evening meditation for those who cannot attend during the day.

Art Studio with Cinnamon Suites
*Sunday, October 7th, 2018, 12:00 pm, Mershon Auditorium Lobby
The Wex will host the founders of Cinnamon Suites Collective, Agape and Freedom. These artists will provide an opportunity for experiential sessions; these moments invite participants to create art pieces, experiment with materials, and imagine.
The event is free and open to all audiences. Bring your children, friends, and family members to experience this wonderful afternoon!
https://wexarts.org/education/art-studio-cinnamon-suites

Tigerland: Columbus at the Intersection of Sports and Race with special guest Wil Haygood
*Monday, October 8th, 2018, 7pm
The 2018 Director’s Dialogue on Art and Social Change will feature a panel discussion with Wil Haywood, journalist and author of The Butler. The panel convenes to discuss connections between race relations and Columbus’s East High School 1968-69 basketball and baseball seasons, subjects that are deeply examined in Haywood’s recently published Tigerland 1968-1969: A City Divided, A Nation Torn Apart, and a Magical Season of Healing.
The event is free; RSVP is requested.
https://wexarts.org/talks-more/tigerland-columbus-intersection-sports-and-race

Artist Talk: Carlyle Brown | Acting Black: Demystifying Racism | F/V Theater
*Monday, October 15, 2018, 7pm

This provocative solo work by writer/performer Carlyle Brown investigates the origins of American racism in the entertainment industry from 1828 to the present day. “Part spoken word, part stand-up comedy, and part TED Talk,” as Brown describes it, Acting Black is conceived to stimulate and encourage honest and open conversation about race, bias, and diversity. The 60-minute performance and PowerPoint presentation is followed by a 30-minute facilitated discussion with the audience. FREE for the public, but tickets are required. You can get your free ticket at the front desk.

Faculty Gallery Talk: Tosha Stimage (Visiting Faculty, Fine Arts, Columbus College for Art and Design)
Thursday, November 15, 6pm

This talk will consider the intersection of visual arts and our collective imagination in creating social change. We will examine several works in which Mickalene Thomas creates a speculative future space occupied by the intentional black female body. This reversal of functions between voyeur, subject, and place, challenge the viewer to consider a future where life imitates art and space opens within space, ad infinitum. RSVP will be requested (watch the Wex website to RSVP)

*Coming up soon!