Material Girls: Contemporary Black Women Artists

Vibrant Visions, The Artistry of Contemporary Women

September 6 – December 1, 2012

Material Girls: Contemporary Black Women Artists (September 6 – December 1, 2012) featured works by Chakaia Booker, Sonya Clark, Maya Freelon Asante, Maren Hassinger, Martha Jackson Jarvis, Joyce J. Scott, and Renée Stout. Each of the seven artists incorporates a range of materials, including hair, beads, tissue paper, volcanic stone, rubber tires, and plastic into their work. They remain keenly attentive to the pleasures derived from the sense of touch. Using delicate and resilient materials, they build monumental sculptures, shape richly textured surfaces, apply intricate handiwork, and create provocative assemblages. Fervently working at the intersection of art and material culture, the featured artists explore how to value the materials around us and shape our lives and livelihoods through our own making.

Material Girls: Contemporary Black Women Artists was developed and organized by the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture. Michelle Joan Wilkinson, Ph.D., curated the exhibition. Martha Jackson Jarvis, Scent of Magnolia I, II, III, 2008; stone, concrete, and glass, I – 3.5 x 10 x 3 feet; II – 3.5 x 8 x 3 feet; III – 3.5 x 5 x 3 feet, Courtesy the artist.

This exhibition was made possible by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of Fulton County Arts and Culture.

Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture

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