Epilogue of Dialogue (in black & white)

If there is a happy term for the after- the-show-glow, send it my way. The force is still strong in this one and I'm still wondering how it all came together.

Sometimes things happen for a reason. Being in the right place at the right time. The stars were aligned. The art Gods were smiling. Pick one of those. heck, pick all of those. 

All I know, is that somehow I was asked at the very last minute to participate in this show and my topic would be cultural appreciation. Having just returned from Seattle and Pittsburgh and seeing art that addressed social issues, I was more than happy to say yes.   

postcard for Dialogue in Black and White - May 25-June 9, 2018

And so the painting, cutting and gluing began and my collage/photo montage came together in a very short time. "Pull up a chair for a plate of reality- cultural appropriation" is a 48 x 24" bird's eye view of a dinner table with six dinner plates, each depicting a form of cultural appropriation. 

Pull up a chair for a plate of reality- cultural appropriation

Cookie Washington had a vision for this show and as curator, brought it all together. She herded sixty-six artists and coordinated a number of community dinner discussions in the gallery that were really the icing on the cake. Sitting with community members and fellow artists was inspiring and thought provoking. To be a small part of this community effort was humbling and empowering - all at the same time. 

Charleston City Paper wrote an article before the show opened. 
​https://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/a-dialogue-in-black-and-white-is-a-call-for-conversation/Content?oid=18591715

My partner, Hank Herring, took a sculptural approach and focused his work on Adinkra symbols of West Africa.