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Opening Reception for Superlative Exhibit of 17 Maryland-Based Artists Exploring Themes of Black Resistance and Joy on November 10th

The Radical Voice of Blackness Speaks of Resistance and Joy Presents Multidisciplinary Works of Art by Seventeen Critically-acclaimed Black Maryland-based Artists

MEDIA ADVISORY 

For Immediate Release

November 7, 2022  

Contact: Jan F. Lee, Director of Marketing and Communications /  jan.lee@maryland.gov / (410) 216-6185

 

Annapolis, MD – The Radical Voice of Blackness Speaks of Resistance and Joy presents multidisciplinary works of art by seventeen critically-acclaimed Black Maryland-based artists, including major works from the Banneker-Douglass Museum Fine Art Collection. This exhibition, guest curated by Myrtis Bedolla of Galerie Myrtis in Baltimore, explores America’s fraught history of systemic racism while celebrating the resiliency of a people who have persevered despite social and political devices to suppress them.

What: The Radical Voice of Blackness Speaks of Resistance and Joy Exhibition Opening Reception

When: Thursday, November 10, 2022 / 6:00- 9:00 pm

Where: Banneker-Douglass Museum, 84 Franklin Street, Annapolis, MD 21401

Who: Come meet with exhibiting artists, curators, and museum staff, as well as mingle with fellow art enthusiasts, and explore this exhibit of thought-provoking paintings, photographs, prints, videos, and conceptual works presented through a multigenerational lens. Light hors d’oeuvre and refreshments will be served. 

Featured exhibit artists: Devin Allen, Tawny Chatmon, Wesley Clark, Larry Cook, Oletha DeVane, Edward D. Ghee, Sr., Phylicia Ghee, Jerrell Gibbs, Curlee Holton, Monica Ikegwu, Megan Lewis, Charles Mason, III, Wendel Patrick, Joyce J. Scott, and Chrystal Seawood. Also included are commissioned portraits of Benjamin Banneker, Frederick Douglass, Dr. Lillie Carroll Jackson, and Harriet Tubman by Hughie Lee-Smith, and a portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Nathaniel Gibbs.

Thank you to our exhibit sponsors: BGE, PNC Bank, Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, Banneker-Douglass Museum Foundation, Inc., Friends of Banneker-Douglass Museum, Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area of Anne Arundel County, Arts Council of Anne Arundel County, and Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County.

Executive Director Chanel Johnson, Curator of Collections Schillica Howard, and Guest Curator Myrtis Bedolla are available for interviews. The exhibit will be open through September 30, 2023. 

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About Banneker-Douglass Museum

The Banneker-Douglass Museum is the State of Maryland’s official museum of African American heritage and culture. It is operated by the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture. It serves to document, interpret, and promote African American history and culture through exhibitions, programs, and projects in order to improve the understanding and appreciation of America’s rich cultural diversity for all. The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. To learn more, visit http://bdmuseum.maryland.gov. Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

About Myrtis Bedolla & Galerie Myrtis

Myrtis Bedolla is the owner and founding director of Galerie Myrtis, an emerging blue-chip gallery and art advisory specializing in twentieth and twenty-first-century American art with a focus on work created by African American artists. Bedolla possesses over 30 years of experience as an advisor to private collectors and institutions in the acquisition and sale of fine art; and provides professional curatorial services, lectures, and educational programming to corporate, civic, and arts organizations.  

The gallery opened its doors in 2006 to utilize the visual arts to raise awareness for artists who deserve recognition for their contributions in artistically portraying primarily African American cultural, social, historical, and political landscapes; and to recognize art movements that paved the way for freedom of artistic expression. Represented is a diverse roster of mid-career to established artists who have achieved regional, national, and international acclaim. For more information, visit http://galeriemyrtis.net/.