Memphis College of Art Debuts Exhibition Exploring Racial Identity
MEMPHIS, Tenn.—In celebration of Black History Month, Memphis College of Art announces an upcoming exhibition, Singular Masses: An Examination of Racial Identity.
The exhibition is on view Jan. 23 – March 9 at the Hyde Gallery, Nesin
Graduate School, 477 S. Main, with receptions on trolley nights Jan. 25
and Feb. 22, 6–9 p.m. The exhibition is being sponsored by an AutoZone
ArtsZone grant administered by ArtsMemphis. Admission is free, and the
exhibition and receptions are open to the public. Singular Masses, which is curated by MCA’s Coordinator of
Exhibitions and Lectures Cat Peña, presents the work of seven artists:
Yashua Klos, Anthony Lee, Lester Merriweather, Carl E. Moore, Toyin
Odutola, Io Palmer and Matthew Thomas. Each artist offers his or her
unique perspective on personal identity and how it is shaped or
influenced by factors such as race or racial stereotype.
“To understand one’s identity is possibly the most personal and
mysterious exploration one can take. While we all would like to think
each of us innately has attributes that are unique unto ourselves, we
often look to the world around us for additional cues,” said Peña.
“Unfortunately, many of these cues are stereotypes that society places
on us to neatly categorize (or delineate) topics that are complicated
and multifaceted such as race, religion and sex. Sadly, through
repetition, a lack of understanding and the absence of personal
perseverance to pull back the layers of these topics, these stereotypes
often become traits we intentionally or unintentionally assign to
ourselves. This exhibition is inspired by artists who have embarked on
peeling back these layers to further investigate stereotypes.”