Art curation
“PRAY FOR US”
Curated by Bre’Ann White at Norwest Gallery
Artists - Kuukua , Jade Lily , Wayne Lawrence , Rachel Thomas , Faith Couch
Mission/Artist Statement
A universal statement “Pray For Us”. Let the people know you're praying for them and ask if there's anything they would like you to pray forArtists- Kuukua , Jade Lily , Wayne Lawrence , Rachel Thomas , Faith Couch
“Pray for Us” explores prayer as an ancestral technology connecting this world and the next, bringing peace, comfort, and solace to those seeking heavenly guidance. Centering the Virgin Mary and the marginalized, yet vital role of motherhood in the Christian faith, “Pray For Us'' invites artists from across the globe to explore motherhood through the conduit of prayer, illuminating the ways motherly figures of all genders shape our spiritual traditions. The show will illustrate how mothers fortify our communities with love, care, and enlightenment, rematriating our relationship to prayer and our connection to the divine.
This exhibition is curated by Bre’Ann White as part of the Womxnhouse Detroit BIPOC Artist & Curatorial residency.
This exhibition is made possible by The Knight Foundation.
“New gazes”
co-Curated by Bre’Ann White and nancy barr
at the Detroit Institute of Arts
Mission/Artist Statement
A special section that is exclusive to the DIA’s showing of “The New Black Vanguard”. This area showcased works from global photographers based in Detroit.
Organized especially for the DIA, this special supplement to The New Black Vanguard includes Detroit-based photographers who are representative of a new generation of image makers in the Motor City.
All have established reputations in the Detroit community and beyond.
Together, they bring greater visibility to Black culture and history as inspired by Detroiters.
“Dance Of A Black Man”
Curated by Bre’Ann White & Taylor McClendon at Charles H Wright Museum
Artists - Jessica Care Moore , Rick Williams, Mama Sol, Mars (Flower Boi), Joel Fluent Greene, Halimah Consuelo, Mona Lyse
Mission/Artist Statement
“Dance of a Black Man” is my tribute to the men in my life and their vulnerability, which is a strength that often goes unrecognized. Combating stereotypes that Black men are inherently deviant, criminal, dangerous, and aggressive, this series – instead reveals a vulnerable and beautiful humanity that isn’t always shown. Drawing inspiration from movement, angelic themes, Afro-aesthetics, Detroit, and soft but vast natural landscapes, this project honors the black men —fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins — who have pushed me towards life-changing experiences, shifted culture, defied stereotypes, and ultimately transformed themselves to transform the world.
In “Dance of a Black Man,” I portray the black male as an angel, soft yet strong and powerful, with wings that signify freedom and the ability to soar. I was inspired by Black American folklore of enslaved Africans flying home to Africa, and wanted to recreate that yearning for escape and the liberatory power of imagination. The feathery angel wings offered a chance to elevate his divinity and regality, rather than the way his skin is demonized. I also wanted to challenge cultural depictions of angels, because in my life, Black men have been angels, offering guidance, protection, and love, even as the world continues perpetuating toxic masculinity. This tension – between societal expectations of aggressive masculinity, and the need to express their interior emotional lives – is a dance that all Black men must navigate, and the consequences of misstepping can be deadly. Together, we transformed traditional ballet moves, religious imagery, and traditions of black masculinity to put our own spin on this precarious, yet beautiful, dance.
As an artist born and raised in Detroit, I’ve been surrounded by black men my whole life; they are vulnerable with me and have given me insights into their most intimate struggles, including the fear to show weakness and emotion. Throughout this series, I asked the model, Jordan Blake, to pose from that place of vulnerability, challenging the lens – and its associated stereotypes – with the fearlessness of his own truth. Black men are not a monolith. It’s important to celebrate their playfulness, divinity, and softness too. I see them as a kaleidoscope of butterflies, as my guardian angels, as my teachers and muses, exploding with light, color, and possibility. Together, we fly towards freedom.
The pop-up event at the Charles H Wright Museum in Detroit celebrates the release of a new print collection titled "Dance of a Black Man" and marks the official announcement of a community initiative called "All For You Detroit." The event features a poetry session with talented artists including Jessica Care Moore, Joel Fluent Greene, Rick Williams, Mama Sol, Mars (Flower Boi), Mona Lyse and Halimah Consuelo. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with fellow Detroiters and join the mission of empowering and uplifting marginalized communities. The event also includes a chance to collect one of the artist's prints and a featured print available in the Charles H Wright Museum store. The event will take place on June 8th from 5pm-7pm.
“All For You Detroit + Park Project”
co-Curated by Bre’Ann White and nancy barr
at the Detroit Institute of Arts
Mission/Artist Statement
The All For You Detroit + Park Project is part of a broader initiative to leverage land ownership and community reinvestment to create generational wealth for the communities that raised us and continue to support our creative craft. It will provide a flexibly- structured creative headquarters that hosts an art gallery, studio space, and also ground-floor library/cafe. The gallery will provide co-working, gathering, vending, and production spaces for multimedia artists across Detroit.
Organized especially for the DIA, this special supplement to The New Black Vanguard includes Detroit-based photographers who are representative of a new generation of image makers in the Despite Detroit being a creative oasis and incubator for innovation, Detroit lacks reliable, fully-equipped studio spaces that are owned and operated by African-Americans. In general, a lack of land ownership among the city’s creative communities of color has left artists vulnerable to displacement as former creative communities have quickly transformed into unaffordable tourist attractions. Additionally, widespread vacancy across low-income communities of color has led to consistent decline and isolation. Although Detroit’s downtown core has recently received an influx of investment, there is still a need for more distributed, community-led, place-based investments that bring locally owned and operated assets where they are needed most. In the broader community development sector, creatives are often commissioned for artwork or community engagement, but are not often equipped with the resources and support to become community developers themselves, even though many creatives have intimately experienced what it means to generate opportunity through place and space.Motor City.
All have established reputations in the Detroit community and beyond.
Together, they bring greater visibility to Black culture and history as inspired by Detroiters.
