BeYourOwnMuse

In this Be Your Own Muse exclusive conversation, Dr. Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Dr. Kirsten Pai Buick, Naima Keith, and Valerie Cassel Oliver (who are each recipients of the Driskell Prize in African American Art and Art History) discuss the artistic legacy and influence of David C. Driskell. They reflect on David’s impact as a mentor, colleague, and confidant and discuss his commitment to “growing the field,” expanding opportunities for African Americans in the arts, and supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Correction at 3:24: The correct name of the foundation mentioned is the Clara Elizabeth Jackson Carter Foundation.

"Mildred Thompson: The Atlanta Years, 1986 –2003" opened with a roundtable conversation on the impact of her work and presence on September 11, 2019. Later that evening, we recorded a live segment inside the Museum where the community was invited to share reflections on Thompson as an artist, friend, mentor, inspiration, and/or colleague.

“Mildred Thompson: The Atlanta Years, 1986 – 2003” exhibition co-curators Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Ph.D. and Melissa Messina explore Thompson’s legacy in Atlanta as an artist, educator, and creative force and discuss the themes present in her work.

“Mildred Thompson: The Atlanta Years, 1986 – 2003” is on view at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art September 11 through December 7, 2019.

Image: Detail of "Radiation Explorations 12," 1994, Oil on canvas,

Courtesy The Estate of Mildred Thompson and Galerie Lelong & Co., New York.

Anne Collins Smith, our Curator of Collections, discusses how she approached organizing “Presence: Meditations on the Spelman College Collection" and details the College's history of collecting and prioritizing art.

In addition, Collins Smith shares with us a few pivotal moments and decisions she has made in her career as a lifelong learner, curator, caretaker, instigator, conjure woman, and advocate of artistic engagement.

“Presence: Meditations on the Spelman College Collection" is presented alongside "Amy Sherald," and is on view through May 18, 2019.

Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Ph.D., shares some thoughts on her recent publication, “Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion in Museums.”

Additionally, Dr. Cole talks about how she came to major in anthropology, when art began to matter to her, and how she supported the founding of the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art during her tenure as Spelman College president (1987-1997). She also highlights some of the decision-making criteria she uses to evaluate leadership opportunities where several of her mentors are identified.

This conversation also features an excerpt of a recording of Dr. Cole in dialogue with current Spelman College president, Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., which was moderated by the Museum’s director, Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Ph.D.

Dancer and Choreographer T. Lang discusses the original work she created in conversation with our Fall 2018 exhibition, “Zanele Muholi: Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail the Dark Lioness,” titled “Untitled…Dark Lioness.”

Lang delves into how she interprets Muholi’s work, the influence of travel on her dance language, and the expansion of her dance company, T. Lang Dance, into a non-profit organization.

"Zanele Muholi: Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail the Dark Lioness" is on view at the Spelman College Museum Fine Art now through December 8, 2018.

Award-winning lyricist and activist, Nina "Lyrispect" Ball was commissioned to create an original poem in response to "Zanele Muholi: Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail the Dark Lioness" that debuted during #SpelZanelePRIDE.

#SpelZanelePRIDE was a panel discussion featuring esteemed guests Dr. Beverly Guy Sheftall, Latishia James-Portis, and Marla Renee Stewart on the sexuality, spirituality, and visibility of #LGBTQI women of the African Diaspora during Atlanta’s annual PRIDE celebration.

The panel was preceded with a performance of Lyrispect's original poem – The Reclamation* – and sparked an afternoon of epic and poetic proportions.

#SpelMuse #SpelZanele #SpelZanelePRIDE

*The Reclamation was originally performed at Spelman College Museum of Fine Art and recorded at the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library.

Image: Lyrispect by Adrianna Clark

Zanele Muholi and Renée Mussai discuss "Zanele Muholi: Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail The Dark Lioness," which makes its United States premiere at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art.

Muholi dives deep into the process of being in front of the camera, the importance of The Gaze in their work, and what it means to explore different levels of Blackness through language.

Mussai shares what it feels like to return to Spelman College after previously arriving as the curator of "Black Chronicles II" in 2016 and reflections on curating "Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail The Dark Lioness."

"Zanele Muholi: Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail the Dark Lioness" is on view at the Spelman College Museum Fine Art now through December 8, 2018.

Image: Renee Mussai and Zanele Muholi by Julie Yarbrough

Deborah Roberts discusses her latest exhibition, "Deborah Roberts: The Evolution of Mimi," on view at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art January 25 - May 19, 2018.

Deborah Roberts shares the inspiration and meaning behind specific works in the exhibition, delves deeper into a discussion about what it means to Black in the United States and abroad, and what artistic success means to her.

Image: Deborah Roberts by Shannon McCollum

Zoe Whitley, co-curator of "Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power" joins us for a conversation about curatorial practice, Black Culture in the US versus the UK, and why it was important to visit Spelman while in the States.

Learn more about Zoe Whitley at zoewhitley.com

Image courtesy of Andrew Dunkley, Tate Photography