American Art Exhibit Opening

Last Saturday, we had our opening for Newfields/Indianapolis Museum of Art’s re-design of the American Art Gallery. The exhibit, “Work in Progress: Conversations about American Art” was a highly rewarding project.

My purpose was simple: to get people to think about the site-specific context of Indianapolis artworks in the museum. We have all of these amazing paintings of locations we all know today - White River, Washington Street, Central Ave, etc - yet there was little interpretation about these places. I wanted to get people to think about how the artists experienced these spaces and places 50, 90, 100, 130 years ago and how we experience these same spaces and places today. Topics like: waterways, pollution, industrialization, land use, suburbanization, infrastructure, disinvestment, the carceral state, and neighborhoods come up in my work.

My work is featured with the following artworks:

• Theodor Groll, "Washington Street, Indianapolis at Dusk," 1892-1895

• Richard Gruelle, "The Canal--Morning Effect," 1894

• John Hardrick, "Dolly & Rach," 1927 

• Constance Richardson, "Streetlight," 1930 

Members of the Looking Glass Alliance with CEO Dr. Burnette.

I was part of a team of community experts who were given much latitude to reinterpret and curate works. Our mission is: The Looking Glass Alliance participants are using the idea of a looking glass to turn upside down the White, heteronormative interpretations of art and the American mythos that have traditionally been communicated in museums. They invite Newfields and the public to join them as they reflect on these practices, disrupt damaging narratives, and make marginalized voices, places, and people visible.

Learn more about the LGA here.

Ribbon cutting ceremony at the exhibit opening; with members of LGA and Newfields staff.

So what’s next? Go check out the exhibit. You have roughly 5 years to do so. My interpretation panels are abbreviated in the exhibit - please use the QR codes on my panels to access the full text, see links to the images used, and refer to the additional resources/links for more information. Stay tuned for upcoming programming/events. Keep up on the exhibit here.

Information panel on Looking Glass Alliance members.