This weekend, the Cleveland Public Library is partnering with the Cleveland Museum of Art to present a special lecture by world renowned contemporary artist Kehinde Wiley. His visit is part of the library’s Lockwood Thompson Dialogues series.
Wiley will speak in the museum’s Gartner Auditorium at 2 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 29. Earlier this summer, the series brought legendary African American painter Barkley Hendricks to Cleveland to speak about his life and career.
“The Lockwood Thompson Dialogues series allows us to bring thought-provoking speakers, artists, and authors like Kehinde Wiley to Cleveland to engage with our community,” said Felton Thomas, director of CPL. “We were very fortunate this year to partner with CMA to bring two prolific artists to Cleveland.”
Wiley’s revisionist paintings incorporate contemporary, young, urban African American males into formal academic European portraiture. The result confronts the viewer with a necessity to reflect upon and challenge historical concepts of fine art (and much more).
Next month, the CPL’s Lockwood Thompson Dialogues brings two more influential African American artists to its Martin Luther King Jr. Branch. At 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, Alvin “Dante” Yarbrough will discuss his mixed media work instilled with socio-political messages, often particularly directed towards African American youth. Yarbrough was born in East Cleveland.
At 2 p.m. the following Saturday, Sept. 26, Emory Douglas will discuss his work, as well as his involvement with the Black Panther Party. Douglas served first as Revolutionary Artist, and later Minister of Culture for the Black Panthers from 1967 through the early 80s. His art and design work was featured on the front and back pages of the Black Panther newspaper, reflecting both the politics of the party, as well as the concerns of the community.
The presentation is free, but seats are limited, register through the museum’s box office.
(Cleveland Museum of Art) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7340, clevelandart.org
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