I wanted to see the cleaned up Cloisters, walk the galleries, see the ":Living Legacies" exhibit, "Art of the African-American South," and have a gourmet lunch at the Cafe. We did it all.
The African American Art exhibit was wonderful. From quilts to paintings to garden art and assemblage art using found objects from daily life, it was fascinating to see and embrace. When I think of Alabama I think of Selma and Birmingham. When I think of Georgia and the former slave states, I think of lynchings, the KKK, virulent White Supremacy. When I think of the American South I think of the violence on which our nation is founded.
When I saw the exhibit, I saw beauty, skill, powerful images through the lens of African-American artists. I saw unique points of view, pain and triumph, heard African-American voices.
 |
| Ronald Lockett, Verge of Extinction, a quilt-like sheet metal sculpture, a combination of found tin, nails, wood. |
The exhibit, I was happy to learn, presents the Museum's recent acquisition of major works by African-American artists from the southern United States. Twenty-four of them. It was partially funded by NEH, my former employer.
But now. Now it's different. I want to envelop them in beauty, in imagination,in Chihuly's light (left). But they are literally fighting for survival. Their homes are being bombed, their schools, hospitals, their evacuation routes. If nothing else, this "Legacies" exhibit reminds us that survival against the odds is possible, painful, terrifying, but possible. African Americans in the USA have survived against the odds, survived and flourished. God, let Ukraine and its people survive. Let there be peace in Ukraine.
 |
| Leroy Almond, 1938-1997, The New Heaven," carved wood, light bulbs, glitter, ornamental pearls, paint. |
The quilts were fantastic, and a video of the Freedom Quilting Bee added to their meaning, understanding their design, their purpose, the fabrics used. That Quilting Bee is still going strong. It's a reminder that "many of the artists featured in the exhibit were active during the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. Estelle Witherspoon (1916-1998), one of the founders of the Freedom Quilting Bees, was a driving force supporting the Civil Rights Act and participated in the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965." (City Paper)
This was true of the Deal family of artists. This welded steel sculpture is by Richard Deal, which he calls "The Comfort of the First Born.. It's mixed media, welded steel, plastic tubing, paint. I love this especially. Richard is the brother of Thornton Deal, Jr, and their father is the painter Thornton Deal, all wonderful artists. Resistance and art is a family tradition and powerful legacy. And how exciting that these pieces are now part of TMA's permanent collection!
We were also glad to spend time in the newly refreshened Cloisters gallery. The columns are cleaned and vivid in their detail, the art fresh and stunning to behold. The walls are painted blue, really similar to the new blue on my front door, and the lighting is exquisite. It feels like being in a holy place, closer to God. Janice and I said a prayer for Ukraine. 
I almost feel guilty feeling joy as we walk through the galleries, but I know my Ukrainian friends in my beloved adopted country now under vicious assault would say "it's okay, Fran. Все в порядке, Фрэн. Это хорошо." They taught me that we need to find happiness and peace wherever we are, whenever we can.
 |
| Chihuly, near Grove Street entrance to TMA |
But now. Now it's different. I want to envelop them in beauty, in imagination,in Chihuly's light (left). But they are literally fighting for survival. Their homes are being bombed, their schools, hospitals, their evacuation routes. If nothing else, this "Legacies" exhibit reminds us that survival against the odds is possible, painful, terrifying, but possible. African Americans in the USA have survived against the odds, survived and flourished. God, let Ukraine and its people survive. Let there be peace in Ukraine.
NOTES:
"After a year-long conservation and renovation project, the Toledo Museum of Art’s (TMA) Cloister Gallery will present a wider range of the cultural heritage of the Middle Ages when it reopens on Dec. 18, 2021. In addition to a complete reinstallation of works on view, the project entailed the comprehensive cleaning of the gallery’s three medieval arcades and Venetian wellhead, removing centuries of accumulated dirt; the conservation of three stained-glass windows and other works of art that have not been on view in the gallery for decades; and new casework, lighting and security. The Toledo Museum of Art’s Cloister Gallery is home to one of the finest collections of medieval art in North America."
No comments:
Post a Comment