As we approach the closing of Art and Race Matters: The Career of Robert Colescott, many of us are left with more questions than answers. This feeling of uncertainty carries a particular tension with it in the climate of 2020. At the same time, however, the instability embedded in our discussions around race, gender, identity, and art offers an opportunity to stay open and receptive to learning, and hopefully growing, through these complexities. Our closing program, Perspectives on Colescott: Identity, Satire, and Politics, offers another opportunity to unravel our assumptions and to dive into challenging terrain.
Evolving from its original structure as an In Dialogue program, Perspectives on Colescott continues to embrace the spirit of community discussion and disagreement, where the notion of “the expert” is set aside to center the knowledge of collective voices. In a round table discussion between Broke Gravy and guests Chevonne Ball and Nishat Akhtar, this program bridges themes of race, gender, and satire with Colescott’s work as a reflection of today’s concerns. Broke Gravy, the facilitators of this program, wanted to embrace the open, and wide-reaching spirit of In Dialogue by inviting Ball and Akhtar to join them in sifting through difficult and shifting feelings around Colescott’s work and current politics.
We are excited to bring together a diverse range of perspectives in this dialogue: Broke Gravy uses improv comedy and storytelling to discover truth between the blurry lines of the daily grind. As three black men living in America, they utilize their unique voices to spark thoughtful conversations on and off comedy stages. Chevonne Ball is the Owner and Founder of Dirty Radish Travel Company, a travel company that connects travelers to her favorite places, Oregon and France, for world-class hospitality and wine education. Nishat Akhtar is a Creative Director at Instrument and with an ongoing illustration practice. Her work is multi-disciplinary, ranging from illustration and brand design to interactive projects.
Perspectives on Colescott: Identity, Satire, and Politics
December 10, 2020
6:30 – 8 p.m.
Perspectives on Colescott is an opportunity to unearth and sit with our building ruminations around Colescott’s paintings, and it is also an invitation to continue engaging these tough questions long after his works come down from the walls.
