On February 7, Black Market Reads was honored to participate in a profound and uplifting celebration of Black identity, art, and music at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA).
In part one of this episode, which was recorded in the galleries of the MIA, Lissa speaks with Esther Callahan (Curatorial Affairs Fellow – contemporary art) and Keisha Williams (Curatorial Assistant and Artist Liaison), about the Mapping Black Identities exhibit now on display. Callahan and Williams were instrumental in the creation of the exhibition, which explores the diversity of Black Identities through the work of Black artists from America, Africa, and the diaspora. The exhibit, and the women behind it, also asks us to question traditional understandings of who has access and power in the world of fine arts, as well as how we conceptualize art in general.
In part two of the episode, Lissa sits down with musical icon Gary Hines, Musical Director and Producer of the Grammy Award-winning ensemble Sounds of Blackness. Lissa and Hines discuss the history of Black music and the ways that it has influenced (often through direct appropriation) mainstream popular music, the deep connection between music and storytelling, the impact and work of Sounds of Blackness, and much more. Throughout the episode, you will also hear performances from Sounds of Blackness.
On behalf of The Givens Foundation for African American Literature, thanks for doing a wonderful job!