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Spelman College Museum of Fine Art

Harmonia Rosales: Master Narrative

On display at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, August 18 - December 2, 2023

Cultural reclamation permeates “Master Narrative,” an exhibition of twenty paintings and a large-scale sculptural installation by the Los Angeles-based Afro-Cuban American artist Harmonia Rosales who seamlessly entwines the tales and characters of the Yorùbá religion, Greco-Roman mythology and Christianity with the canonical works and artistic techniques of European Old Masters.“We are fortunate to have Harmonia Rosales’ first traveling solo museum exhibition at Spelman College Museum of Fine Art. Rosales’ work confronts the concept of a master narrative through imagery that is both beautiful and challenging. Her masterfully-rendered paintings and a large-scale installation will engage AUC students and the general public,” said Spelman College Museum of Art Executive Director Liz Andrews.

The installation in this exhibition is Rosales's first foray into sculpture and depicts her own version of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling stretched across the hull of an overturned slave ship that hovers above the viewer. Through her visual storytelling, Rosales presents the notion of human and cultural survival on her own terms – one that highlights the beauty and strength of Black people, particularly women, while touching upon grand narratives of creation, tragedy, survival and transcendence.

“Harmonia Rosales: Master Narrative” is accompanied by an exhibition catalogue, the first monograph for the artist, published by Paul Holberton Press. The exhibition opens to the public on August 18.

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Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection

Spelman College, a historically black liberal arts college for women located in Atlanta, Georgia, announced the first-ever national tour of its art collection. The tour, made possible through the Art Bridges Foundation, will travel the group exhibition Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection to five institutions across the United States, beginning with Vassar College in September. Through the work of nearly 40 artists, Silver Linings uplifts the legacy of artists of African descent spanning the 20th Century through the contemporary moment, many of whom have been overlooked by mainstream art museums.

“Spelman’s art collection has long been regarded as a hidden gem and we have lent individual works of art for many years. Now, we are excited to share a selection of works by artists who shape our collection with audiences around the United States for the first time,” said Dr. Liz Andrews, Executive Director, Spelman College Museum of Fine Art. “Our hope is that this tour will raise awareness of the work we are doing in Atlanta to uplift Black women artists.”

Though Spelman College Museum of Fine Art was founded in 1996 with a mission to uplift art by and about women of the African diaspora, the college’s art collecting dates back to 1899. Originally curated by Spelman College Museum of Fine Art Executive Director Liz Andrews and Curator-in- Residence Karen Comer Lowe, Silver Linings celebrates Spelman College’s art collection while looking to the important role.

Following its presentation at Vassar College, Silver Linings will travel to Boise Art Museum, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, Harn Museum of Art and Hunter Museum of American Art. Please click here for a full list of institutions and exhibition dates.

Learn More About Silver Linings

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