Two small business owners rooted in Western Alaska have spent hours preparing for a busy holiday season. As consumers gear up for gift-giving during the holidays, they have the chance to shop local and support small businesses.

For artists with small businesses, the holiday season kicks off well before the temperature starts to change. Two women from Western Alaska craft pieces that make for special, one-of-a-kind gifts. 

Shirley (Kiparalria) Hootch of Emmonak is a Yup’ik jeweler who specializes in handmade earrings made of caribou antler and walrus ivory. She said she sources her materials through her family in Point Hope.

Hootch comes from a lineage of artists. She said this inspired her to begin making jewelry. The first  earrings she ever created, she said, remains one of her most popular sellers. They resemble traditional Yup’ik masks.

“I decided I wanted to make mask earrings just like my grandfather made masks,” Hootch said. “So I made a mask earring and [her mother] loved it. And from there it just took off.”

Hootch participates in craft fairs throughout the year, but makes special designs for the holiday season. She said she never makes more than five pairs of the same earrings, so each pair is truly unique.

“By supporting artists and jewelers and carvers, you get a one of a kind treasure,” she said.

Hootch customizes each pair of mask earrings with different colors and materials.

Nikki (Quluqaaq) Corbett of Bethel is the owner of a popular qaspeq company called “Sew Yupik.” Corbett began her business eight years ago and recently began teaching workshops throughout the state.

Years ago, she joined Hootch at the Alaska Federation of Natives craft fair and sold out her qaspeqs in one day. This year, she shared a booth with her sister, Tina Harness, and sold out her stock in two days. Corbett said that when you support Alaska Native artists through your purchases, you have the chance to engage and connect with their culture.

She said she began preparing her stock in June, and like Hootch, each of her pieces are specially made.

“I don’t want people to be wearing the same one unless they request it,” Corbett said. “I really tried to make each one individualized with its trimming and the accent hoods, or cowells, or cuffs.”

Corbett said the sewing process begins before she even picks up the needle and thread. She makes sure to set good intentions because if she doesn’t, she says she risks passing negative energy to the piece she’s sewing, and that can transfer to the customer.

“Elders have always said when you’re sewing with something, you don’t want to be sewing and you’re feeling a certain way. [Like] if you’re feeling sad or any other negative feelings,” she said.

For more information or to support these artists, visit their business pages on social media, @Shirley_Hootch_Jewelrey and @SewYupik.

COCONINO COUNTY, Ariz. – An Arizona hat company creates pieces rooted in history.

“Creating additional waste is considered disrespectful in our culture. Therefore, we strive to find ways to minimize waste production. As a result, we are repurposing hats. These previously owned hats still possess high quality and have plenty of life left in them,” stated Lehi Thunder Voice Eagle Sanchez, Founder/CEO. 

The company was established by Thunder Voice Eagle Lehi Sanchez, an artist hailing from the Navajo Nation, located near The Grand Canyon in Arizona in Coconino County.

He continued to explain, “The hats are obtained from individuals or thrift stores, then undergo a thorough cleaning, steaming, and reshaping process. They are later adorned with unique designs to give them a distinctive appearance. Sanchez added.

From there, his sister personally embroiders each hat and every hat carries a unique narrative. 

“As I delved deeper into the art world, my work began to evolve into commentary pieces as we faced numerous challenges and sought ways to communicate with the rest of the world. Despite having limited resources, we continue to fight. Our community resides in a food desert, lacking sufficient stores. We are in a job desert, with few employment opportunities. Additionally, we have no water rights, denying us access to this vital resource. These are the obstacles we encounter on our own land.”

The Navajo Nation has a rich artistic heritage, renowned for its textiles and exquisite jewelry. 

“Our history is a testament to resilience, starting with the creation of beautiful jewelry and later producing the iconic chief blankets,” shared Sanchez. 

The style of their creations seamlessly blends vintage and modern elements. 

“What makes beaver felt exceptional is its durability. Even if it gets flattened, it can easily be restored,” added Moroni Freedom Eagle Sanchez. They typically complete around 12 hats per week, but there are occasions where they manage to produce up to 24 hats. Every endeavor they undertake is driven by a deeper purpose. 

“Our aspiration is for this success to benefit not only our family but the entire community. We strive to involve more individuals in our journey,” said Nephi Gentle Wind Eagle Sanchez.

Although it is a family-run enterprise, the focus of this business lies in the community.

“I’ve always had a passion for working with my hands and engaging in artistic endeavors. Being a part of a Native-owned business holds significant meaning for me, given my own Native heritage,” shared Amanda Lee Gibson. The company celebrates and pays homage to the past while simultaneously building a sustainable future for future generations. “Our aim is to demonstrate a sustainable approach to fashion. What sets hats apart is that they serve a purpose. If you find the right hat and take care of it, it can last a lifetime. It becomes a representation of who we are – resilient, beautiful, and deeply rooted in our culture. It signifies that we are still here today and thriving,” expressed Sanchez.

Visit Thunder Voice Hat Co. on their website or on Instagram.  

River Ian Kerstetter is the founder of TIES Poetry, a series of open mics and readings celebrating Indigenous queer, trans and two-spirit writers. Courtesy of Max Lubbers / WBEZ

THE GRAPHIC QUILT DESIGNS of Gee’s Bend artists inspired a new line of upholstered furniture available exclusively from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Studio Museum in Harlem recently added new items to its Barkley L. Hendricks Collection. Interior designer Sheila Bridges continues to expand the line of products featuring her clever Harlem Toile de Jouy print.

From stationery and home goods to clothing and accessories, African American artists have inspired a bounty of new products, great finds for anyone happy to have more art in their life. The selections reflect an array of new and recent museum exhibitions dedicated to Black artists such as Hendricks, Dawoud Bey, Faith Ringgold, Spike Lee, Whitfield Lovell, Wangechi Mutu, Gary Simmons, Henry Taylor, Grace Wales Bonner, and Benjamin Wigfall. The products also highlight treasured artworks by Jacob Lawrence, Horace Pippin, and Romare Bearden, among others, represented in the permanent collections of major museums.

Purchases made from museum stores benefit the institutions and sales of the growing collection of design objects available from the Kehinde Wiley Shop benefit the artist’s Black Rock Senegal artist-in-residence program in Accra. Culture Type’s 2023 holiday guide highlights 50 artist-inspired gifts:

STATIONERY

The postcard set features a selection of portraits, including: Brenda P, George Jules Taylor, Slick, Misc. Tyrone (Tyrone Smith), APB’s (Afro-Parisian Brothers), Sisters (Susan and Toni), Blood (Donald Formey), Victory at 23, Sir Charles, Alias Willie Harris, and Lawdy Mama

Barkley L. Hendricks Collection Postcard Set. | Studio Museum in Harlem’s Studio Store, $20.00

From the Studio Museum in Harlem’s Barkley L. Hendricks Collection, the postcard set is a real treasure featuring 10 fascinating 1960s and 70s-era portraits by Barkley L. Hendricks (1945-2017) in postcard format. Each postcard measures 5.8 x 8.3 inches.

The boxed set features two artworks: From left, BENJAMIN WIGFALL (American, 1930-2017), Detail of “Chimneys,” 1951 (oil on canvas). | Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, General Endowment Fund. © Benjamin Wigfall; BENJAMIN WIGFALL (American, 1930-2017), Untitled (Christmas card design), 1958 (opaque watercolor on wove paper, 5 1/8 × 7 3/16 inches). | Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of the artist, 2007.27

Benjamin Wigfall Boxed Notecards | Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, VMFA Shop, $19.99

The boxed notecards explore the work of Richmond, Va., native Benjamin Wigfall (1930-2017), as featured in the exhibition “Benjamin Wigfall and Communications Village” (June 17-Sept. 10, 2023), recently on view at the Virginia Museum of the Fine Arts in Richmond. Blank inside, each notecard is 5 1/4 x 4 inches. The box includes 12 cards (six each of two designs) and 13 envelopes.

The Kwanzaa cards feature one design, a screen print and woodcut artwork by Chakaia Booker. | © Chakaia Booker

Chakaia Booker: Boxed Kwanzaa Cards. | Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Met Store, $16

A celebration of African American culture, Kwanzaa is observed Dec. 26, 2023-Jan. 1, 2024, this year. Designed by artist Chakaia Booker, who is known for her tire sculptures and printmaking, the boxed set includes 8 cards and 8 envelopes (5 x 7 inches). The greeting inside reads: “Remember & Rejoice Happy Kwanzaa.”

The card designs are based on ROMARE BEARDEN (1911-1988), “The Block,” 1971 (cut and pasted printed, colored and metallic papers, photostats, graphite, ink marker, gouache, watercolor, and ink on Masonite, 48 inches × 18 feet / 121.9 × 548.6 cm; Individual panel: 48 × 36 inches / 121.9 × 91.4 cm). | Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Shore, 1978; Accession Number: 1978.61.1-.6. Art © Romare Bearden Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, N.Y.

Romare Bearden: The Block Boxed Notecards. | Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Met Store, $15

From the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, “The Block” (1971) by Romare Bearden (1911-1988) is a monumental depiction of Harlem’s unique streetscape. Bearden grew up in Harlem and would later establish a studio in the neighborhood. The collage painting is composed of seven panels and the cards feature detailed images from the work. The box includes 20 cards (2 each of 10 designs) with 21 envelopes, measuring 4 x 5 1/4 inches. (The cards are blank inside.)

The journal features, GARY SIMMONS, “Everforward…,” 1993 (lLeather, metallic gold thread, satin, and laces; Edition of 20, dimensions variable, approximately 26 × 16 × 5 inches / 66 × 40.6 × 12.7 cm) Overall. | Collection of the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minn. Anonymous gift, 2001, 2001.156.1–.2. © Gary Simmons

Gary Simmons Journal: Everforward. | Pérez Art Museum Miami’s PAMM Shop, $32.95

The journal is produced on the occasion of “Gary Simmons: Public Enemy” (Dec. 5, 2023-April 28, 2024), the first comprehensive survey of the artist. The hardcover velvet laminate journal features an image of the sculpture “Everforward” by Gary Simmons on the cover, includes 100 blank pages, and measures 6 x 8 1/4 inches.

Cover features KEHINDE WILEY, Detail of “Sir Brooke Boothby,” 2013 (oil on canvas, 108 x 68 inches). | © Kehinde Wiley; Inside: KEHINDE WILEY, “Three Boys,” 2013 (oil on canvas, 92 x 92 inches). | © Kehinde Wiley

Kehinde Wiley Coloring Book. | Kehinde Wiley Shop, $15

Featuring portraits from Kehinde Wiley‘s The World Stage: Jamaica (2013) series, the 32-page coloring book includes 15 ready-to-color works. The suggested age is 12, but adults may also appreciate the opportunity to color masterworks by Wiley. Net proceeds benefit Wiley’s Black Rock Senegal artist-in-residence program in Accra.

The pocket pad cover features JACOB LAWRENCE (1917–2000), “Pool Parlor,” 1942 (watercolor and gouache on paper, 31 1/8 × 22 7/8 inches / 79.1 × 58.1 cm). | Arthur Hoppock Hearn Fund, 1942. Accession Number: 42.167. © 2023 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Jacob Lawrence: Pool Parlor Pocket Pad. | Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Met Store, $8 (3 for $20)

“Pool Parlor” (1942), became the first artwork by Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000) to enter the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1942, the same year the artist made the painting. The softcover, pocket notebook has 60 lines pages and measures 4 x 6 inches.

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

The Crooklyn t-shirt is part of the CROOKLYN CAPSULE collection by Spike Lee and designer Tré Seals.

Crooklyn Museum Eyes T-Shirt. | Brooklyn Museum Shop, $45

Legendary filmmaker Spike Lee grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and is an unrivaled promoter of the borough in his life and work. “Spike Lee: Creative Sources,” an incredible exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum through Feb. 4, 2024, is paying homage to his many collections and expansive portfolio of work across platforms. The t-shirt is a collaboration between Lee and designer Tré Seals, who is known for his typeface creations. Commemorating the exhibition, the t-shirt’s logo replaces the Brooklyn Museum name with the moniker Lee gave Brooklyn and used for the title of one of his most beloved films, “Crooklyn” (1994). The back of the t-shirt features a Crooklyn eyes circle graphic.

The long-sleeve tee is one of several items produced by the museum on the occasion of the “Going Dark” exhibition.

Going Dark Long-Sleeve Tee. | Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Guggenheim Store, $45

The t-shirt is produced on the occasion of the group show “Going Dark: The Contemporary Figure at the Edge of Visibility.” Featuring many prominent artists, including Charles White, David Hammons, Faith Ringgold, Sandra Mujinga, John Edmonds, and Lorna Simpson, the exhibition is curated by Ashley James at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Designed with dark type on a black ground, the 100 percent cotton t-shirt embraces the theme of the exhibition, which is on view through April 7, 2024.

Zip pouch features FAITH RINGGOLD, “The Sunflowers Quilting Bee at Arles: The French Collection, Part I, #4,” 1991 (acrylic on canvas, printed and tie-dyed pieced fabric, and ink, 74 x 80 inches / 188 x 203.2 cm). | Collection Oprah Winfrey. © Faith Ringgold / ARS, NY and DACS, London, Courtesy ACA Galleries, New York 2022

Faith Ringgold: The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles Zip Pouch. | Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, $25

Celebrating “Faith Ringgold: American People,” an expansive survey exhibition on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, through Feb. 25, 2024, the pouch features “The Sunflowers Quilting Bee at Arles: The French Collection Part I #4” (1991) by Faith Ringgold. Part of the artist’s French Collection series, the painted quilt pays homage to eight pioneering women: Madam C. J. Walker, Sojourner Truth, Ida Wells, Fannie Lou Hamer, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Ella Baker. The pouch is 100 percent cotton canvas and measures 9.5 x 9 inches. The pouch is available in two additional designs.

Bag features JEAN MICHEL-BASQUIAT (1960-1988), Untitled (Head), 1982. | The Mini Ova Bag is part of the Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure x Black Fashion Fair: Those Who Dress Better Collection © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat


Homage Year: Jean Michel Basquiat Edition Mini Ova Bag. | Brooklyn Museum Shop, $275

Homage Year was established in 2014 by young designer Antoine Manning, who hails from the Bronx, N.Y., and is currently based in Atlanta. According to the brand, “Manning has fueled the ethos of Homage Year primarily through the lens of their Ova Manifestation Bags.” Featuring Jean-Michel Basquiat‘s iconic skull motif, the 100 percent vegan leather Mini Ova bag measures 6.5 x 7 x 3 inches, with details including a 11 1/2-26 inch strap drop.

The tote features HORACE PIPPIN, “Supper Time,” circa 1940 (oil on burnt-wood panel, 12 x 15 1/8 inches / 30.5 x 38.4 cm); On reverse: HORACE PIPPIN, “Giving Thanks,” 1942 (oil on canvas, later mounted to composition board, 11 x 14 3/8 inches / 27.9 x 36.5 cm)

Horace Pippin Tote. | The Barnes Foundation, The Barnes Shop, $35

Considered one of the greatest collections of impressionist, post-impressionist, and early modern European paintings in the world, the Barnes Collection in Philadelphia, Pa., feature works by Cézanne, Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso, and Renoir, among others. The holdings also include four important paintings by African American artist Horace Pippin. Two of them—“Supper Time” (circa 1940) and “Giving Thanks” (1942)—are featured on a reversible tote. Made of canvas, the tote measures 15 x 13.5 inches.

Tote bag features, HENRY TAYLOR, “Fatty,” 2006 (acrylic and plastic tape on canvas 65 × 54 inches / 165.1 × 137.2 cm). | © Henry Taylor, Collection of R. Blumenthal

Henry Taylor: B Side Tote – Fatty. | Whitney Museum of American Art’s Whitney Shop, $36 each

The tote was produced in partnership with Brooklyn Press on the occasion of the retrospective “Henry Taylor: B Side” at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York (through Jan. 28, 2024). Two different tote bags are available, featuring graphic images of Henry Taylor‘s paintings, either “Fatty” (2006), which is shown, or “Cora (cornbread)” (2008), a tribute to the artist’s mother. Each tote bag is 100 percent cotton and measures 17 x 14 x 7 inches.

From left, the front and back of the t-shirt is shown. The t-shirt is based on DERRICK ADAMS, “Be the Table,” 2023 (acrylic on wood panel, in artist’s frame, 61 x 61 x 2 1/2 inches / 154.9 x 154.9 x 6.4 cm). | © Derrick Adams Studio. Photo by Jeff McLane

Derrick Adams x Union: “Come As You Are” Show Tee. | Gagosian Shop, $55

The t-shirt was produced to commemorate “Derrick Adams: Come as You Are” (Sept. 14-Oct. 28, 2023) at Gagosian Beverly Hills, the artist’s first solo show with the mega gallery, since joining its roster in March. A collaboration between Derrick Adams and Los Angeles-based Union, the 100 percent cotton shirt is pigment dyed and enzyme washed. The shirt is also available in gray.

Basquiat Crown Socks. | © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat Licensed by Artestar, New York

Jean-Michel Basquiat Crown Icon Socks. | Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s MCA Store, $22

There is no mistaking the iconic symbolism of Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988). The artist’s signature gold crown is featured on the calf-length crew socks with the name “Basquiat” appearing around the ankle. From the brand Rome Pays Off, the cotton socks have ribbing at the top with blue color blocking at the toe, heel, and top highlighting the design (one size fits most adults).

The socks feature HORACE PIPPIN, “Giving Thanks,” 1942 (oil on canvas, later mounted to composition board, 11 x 14 3/8 inches / 27.9 x 36.5 cm)

Horace Pippin: Giving Thanks Socks. | Barnes Foundation, The Barnes Shop, $25

From the collection of the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, “Giving Thanks” (1942) by Horace Pippin depicts a family gathered around the dinner table bowing their heads in prayer. The domestic scene features several colorful, patterned textiles, including clothing, a blanket, tablecloth, and rugs that make a bold statement pictured on knitted socks. A blend of 80 percent cotton/nylon and 20 percent spandex/lycra, the socks are one size fits most adults.

The Sheila Bridges Harlem Toile Silk Robe was designed with Gingerlily, a London company that specializes in luxury bedding and other products made with Mulberry silk.

Sheila Bridges: Harlem Toile Silk Robe. | Fine Linens, $425

Working in collaboration with Gingerlily, critically recognized interior designer Sheila Bridges has introduced her Harlem Toile de Jouy design to the luxury and comfort of a 100 percent Mulberry silk robe with a self-tie belt and trim at the collar, patch pockets, and sleeves. The robe is available in lilac, blue, and ivory.

The umbrella is inspired by KEHINDE WILEY, “Lunch with Inettia, Lucemy and Soukenya,” 2022 (oil on paper, 57 x 80.5 inches). | © Kehinde Wiley; and KEHINDE WILEY, “Three Wise Men Greeting Entry Into Lagos,” 2008 (oil on canvas, 72 x 95 1/4 inches / 182.88 x 241.935 cm.). | Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Frances and Joseph Nash Field Fund, Accession Number: 2009.20. © Kehinde Wiley

Kehinde Wiley: Green Leaf Umbrella. | Kehinde Wiley Shop, $75

The striking design of the umbrella is inspired by two different works by Kehinde Wiley. The leafy green background is drawn from Wiley’s “Lunch with Inettia, Lucemy and Soukenya” (2022) and the clenched fists reference “Three Wise Men Greeting Entry Into Lagos” (2008). Made with 100 percent polyester, the umbrella has a 48-inch arc canopy and hardwood handle. Net proceeds benefit Wiley’s Black Rock Senegal artist-in-residence program in Accra.

From left, the front and back of the t-shirt is shown. The t-shirt commemorates the exhibition “Artist’s Choice: Grace Wales Bonner–Spirit Movers,” which presents works by a variety of artists, including Terry Adkins, Betye Saar, and David Hammons.

Grace Wales Bonner: Spirit Movers Cotton T-Shirt. | Museum of Modern Art’s MoMA Design Store, $160

The t-shirt was produced to accompany “Artist’s Choice: Grace Wales Bonner–Spirit Movers,” which is on view at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Curated by British designer Grace Wales Bonner, the exhibition explores “Black cultural and aesthetic practices inspired by the African diaspora” through works drawn from MoMA’s collection. “Spirit Movers,” is printed on the front of the shirt and “Dream in the Rhythm,” appears on the back. Also on the back, the designers initials (“GWB”) are embroidered in blue just below the collar. The crewneck shirt is 100 percent organic cotton.

ARTIST SCARVES

The scarf features JACOB LAWRENCE (1917-2000), Detail of “Toussaint at Ennery,” 1989 (color screenprint on wove paper, Image: 47.3 x 73.5 cm / 18 5/8 x 28 15/16 inches; Sheet: 55.9 x 81.6 cm / 22 x 32 1/8 inches). | National Gallery of Art, Gift of Alexander M. and Judith W. Laughlin. Accession Number: 1993.30.2

Jacob Lawrence: Toussaint at Ennery Scarf. | National Gallery of Art Shop, $60

Jacob Lawrence‘s “Toussaint at Ennery” is part of the The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture, the artist’s first narrative body of work (1936-38), which was produced as a series of prints half a century later with master printer Lou Stovall (1937-2023). The 1989 work is in the collection of the National Gallery of art and the scarf, featuring a detail of the image, was designed for the “Afro-Atlantic Histories” exhibition. Made of 100 percent polyester, the scarf measures 33 × 40 inches.

The scarf is based on DAWOUD BEY (American, born 1953), Untitled (James River), 2022 (gelatin silver print, 44 x 55 inches). | © Dawoud Bey

Dawoud Bey Silk Scarf. | Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, VMFA Shop, $75

This scarf is produced on the occasion of “Dawoud Bey: Elegy,” which is on view at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, through Feb. 25, 2024. Inspired by the work of Chicago photographer Dawoud Bey, the oblong scarf is a lightweight, translucent, 100 percent silk and measures 18 x 72 inches.

The scarf is inspired by LUCY T. PETTWAY (1921-2004), “Housetop and Bricklayer with Bars quilt,” circa 1955 (Top and back: cotton and acetate, 91 3/8 × 80 1/8 inches / 232.1 × 203.5 cm). | Gift of Souls Grown Deep Foundation from the William S. Arnett Collection, 2014. Accession Number: 2014.548.52. © Estate of Lucy T. Pettway

Gee’s Bend Pettway Quilt Silk Scarf. | Studio Museum in Harlem’s Studio Store, $95

The scarf recreates “Housetop and Bricklayer with Bars quilt” (circa 1955), a storied design by Gee’s Bend quilt artist Lucy T. Pettway 1921–2004). She fashioned the pattern based on an imagined aerial view of the old Pettway plantation that previously belonged to Joseph Gee. Measuring 50 x 38 inches, the scarf is 85 percent modal and 15 percent silk.

The scarf is based on ROMARE BEARDEN (1911-1988), “The Block,” 1971 (cut and pasted printed, colored and metallic papers, photostats, graphite, ink marker, gouache, watercolor, and ink on Masonite, 48 inches × 18 feet / 121.9 × 548.6 cm; Individual panel: 48 × 36 inches / 121.9 × 91.4 cm). | Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Shore, 1978; Accession Number: 1978.61.1-.6. Art © Romare Bearden Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, N.Y.

Romare Bearden: The Block Silk Scarf. | Studio Museum in Harlem’s Studio Store, $95

Romare Bearden (1911-1988) grew up in Harlem and in 1940 established a studio on 125th Street. From the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, “The Block” (1971) is Bearden’s monumental depiction of the neighborhood’s vibrant life and built environment, from the barber shop to the corner store. Six of the seven panels that compose the collage work are pictured on the 100 percent silk-twill oblong scarf, which has a hand-rolled hem and measures 72 × 22 inches.

The scarf features a detail from MARIA MAGDALEN CAMPOS-PONS, “She Always Knew of the Space in Between,” 2019 (composition of five panels: gouache, watercolor, graphite, acrylic ink, peacock feather on paper, 63 × 32 inches / 160 × 81.3 cm) each. | Courtesy the artist and Gallery Wendi Norris, San Francisco. © María Magdalena Campos-Pons. Photo: Courtesy of Gallery Wendi Norris

Maria Magdalen Campos-Pons: She Always Knew the Space In Between Scarf. | Brooklyn Museum Shop, $115

The scarf is inspired by “Maria Magdalen Campos-Pons: Behold,” a multimedia survey of the artist that spans four decades and is currently on view at the Brooklyn Museum, through Jan. 14, 2024. The scarf image is adapted from one panel of “She Always Knew of the Space In Between” (2019), a mixed-media painting by Maria Magdalen Campos-Pons.

The scarf is based on WANGECHI MUTU, “Fallen Heads,” 2010 (ink, paint, collage, contact paper, and plastic pearls on Mylar, 104 × 53 3/4 inches / 264.2 × 136.5 cm). | Collection of Paul and Linda Gotskind. Courtesy the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles. © Wangechi Mutu

Wangechi Mutu: Fallen Heads Scarf. | New Museum Store, $160

In the spring, the New Museum in New York presented “Wangechi Mutu: Intertwined,” a survey of the artist’s 25-year career featuring more than 100 works, including “Fallen Heads.” Wangechi Mutu‘s mixed-media painting also graced the cover of the exhibition catalog and inspired a large scarf. Digitally printed the 100 percent silk, the scarf measures 25.6 x 47.25 inches (65 x 120 cm).

The wrap features a detail of LORNA SIMPSON, “Ultra Violet 1,” 2015 (collage on ink and paper, 14.6 x 18.5 inches). | © Lorna Simpson, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Lorna Simpson Wrap, Ultra Violet 1. | Hauser & Wirth Shop, $300

Among the many threads of Lorna Simpson‘s practice, she is best known for her collage portraits, inventive works based on images of women sourced from Jet and Ebony magazines, circa 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Simpson has produced several scarves and wraps featuring the portraits, including a large cashmere blend wrap based on “Ultra Violet 1” (2015). Made in Italy, the wrap is 90 percent modal and 10 percent cashmere, and measures 51.2 x 70.9 inches (130 x 180 cm ).

The scarf is based on LUBAINA HIMID, CBE RA, “Man in a Shirt Drawer,” 2017-18 (acrylic paint, wooden drawer and brass handles 468 × 390 × 202 mm). | Collection of the Tate. Purchased with funds provided by the Denise Coates Foundation on the occasion of the 2018 centenary of women gaining the right to vote in Britain, 2019). © Lubaina Himid, Courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens, London

Wales Bonner x Lubaina Himid “Man in a Shirt Drawer” Scarf. | Wales Bonner, $346

“Man in a Shirt Drawer” (2017-18), an iconic portrait by British painter Lubaina Himid, inspired the scarf. Himid won the Turner Prize in 2017. A collaboration between the artist and British luxury label Wales Bonner, the scarf is 100 percent silk, and measures 68 x 68 cm (about 26.5 inches square). Made in Italy.

Based on KEHINDE WILEY, Portrait of Llewellyn Doris, 2019, (oil on canvas, 238.8 x 185.4 cm / 94 x 73 inches) | © Kehinde Wiley

Kehinde Wiley Portrait of Llewellyn Doris Silk Scarf. | Kehinde Wiley Shop, $350

The scarf is inspired by a series of oval portraits by Kehinde Wiley in which his subjects don armor. Made of 100 percent silk charmeuse with a hand rolled hem, the scarf is printed on both sides and measures 36 x 36 inches (91 x 91 cm). Net proceeds benefit Wiley’s Black Rock Senegal artist-in-residence program in Accra.

GAMES & PUZZLES

The Nina Chanel Abney puzzle is inspired by Picasso’s “Girl before a Mirror,” a 1932 painting from MoMA’s collection.

Nina Chanel Abney Puzzle. | Museum of Modern Art’s MoMA Design Store, $28

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) commissioned the puzzle by New York artist Nina Chanel Abney. The layered image depicts the reflection of a figure gazing into a mirror against a bold yellow background punctuated with a grid of purple dots. Abney’s work offers a fresh take on “Girl before a Mirror” (1932), a Pablo Picasso painting in MoMA’s collection. The 1,000-piece puzzle measures 30 x 20 inches when it is assembled.

The puzzle is based on BENJAMIN WIGFALL, 1958 (opaque watercolor on wove paper, Sheet: 5 1/8 × 7 3/16 inches / 13.02 × 18.26 cm); Mount: 5 1/2 × 7 3/4 inches / 13.97 × 19.69 cm); Mat: 16 × 20 inches / 40.64 × 50.8 cm). | Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of the artist, Object Number: 2007.27. © Benjamin Wigfall

Benjamin Wigfall Untitled (Christmas Card Design) Puzzle. | Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, VMFA Shop, $15

The 500-piece puzzle features “Untitled (Christmas card design)” (1958) by Benjamin Wigfall (1930-2017), from the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Produced on the occasion of the Richmond, Va., native’s recent survey exhibition, “Benjamin Wigfall and Communications Village” (June 17-Sept. 10, 2023) at VMFA, the finished puzzle meausres 19.25 x 26.25 inches. Suggested age is 13+.

The basketball design is based on the background of KEHINDE WILEY, “John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester,” 2013 (oil on canvas, 270 x 209 cm / 106 3/8 x 82 3/8 inches). | © Kehinde Wiley

Kehinde Wiley Earl of Rochester Basketball and Plinth. | Kehinde Wiley Shop, $275

The design of the open edition leather basketball is inspired by the blue-leaf background of “John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester” (2013), a portrait featured in Kehinde Wiley‘s The World Stage: Jamaica series. A monogrammed cotton dust bag and plinth with artist’s laser-cut signature is included with the basketball. (Ships deflated.) Net proceeds benefit Wiley’s Black Rock Senegal artist-in-residence program in Accra.

The Basquiat Lifeblood Basketball is produced by round21 in collaboration with the artist’s estate. | © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York

Jean-Michel Basquiat: Lifeblood Basketball. | Museum of Modern Art’s MoMA Design Store, $135

Inspired by the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988), the basketball features the artist’s signature and details from four of his works: “Beat Bop 1” (1983), which is in MoMA’s collection; “A Panel of Experts” (1982); “Made in Japan 1” (1982); and “Untitled” (Skull) (1983), The basketball is a collaboration between Basquiat’s estate and round21, a platform that works with artists and athletes on special edition, sports-related products. Made of composite leather, the basketball is size 7 (29.5 inches circumference) and arrives fully inflated in a limited-edition display box.

Basquiat Playing Cards. | © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed By Artestar, New York

Jean-Michel Basquiat Crown Playing Cards. | Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s MCA Store, $18

Far from a standard deck of playing cards, this set is a tribute to the iconic and imaginative work of Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988). Each card and the box feature paintings, drawings, and sketches by the artist. The poker size (63 x 88 mm) deck is designed by Theory 11.

Shantell Martin is the sixth artist to participate in the UNO Artiste Series, along with Nina Chanel Abney, Takashi Murakami, Shepart Fairey, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Shantell Martin x UNO Artiste Series Deck. | Mattel Creations, $25

Shantell Martin collaborated with Mattel Creations on its UNO Artiste Series. Known for her whimsical line marks, Martin created all new drawings for popular card game: “Often referred to as a language of lines, Martin’s whimsical drawings and messages are both thought-provoking and memorable. The iconic artworks shown on the card feature her cast of unique characters and bold typography…”

The puzzle is based on ALMA THOMAS, “Springtime in Washington,” 1971 (acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48 inches / 121.9 x 121.9 cm).

Alma Thomas: Springtime Circular Jigsaw Puzzle. | Studio Museum in Harlem’s Studio Store, $22

Alma Thomas (1891-1978) was inspired by nature and the organic designs of flower beds. She often imagined aerial views of floral landscapes in her paintings. Her concentric circle compositions, including “Springtime in Washington” (1971), which inspired the 500-piece puzzle, are among her most celebrated works. New from Pomegranate, the circular puzzle is 22 inches in diameter.

WALL CALENDARS

Cover art: LEZLEY SAAR, “Nella Larsen…Passing,” 2003 (acrylic on velour fabric, embellishment on lace fabric, curtain rod, 90 x 55 inches). | Published by Pomegranate

Legacy: The Art of Betye, Lezley, and Alison Saar 2024 Wall Calendar. | Amazon, $15.99

For Betye Saar, 97, and her daughters Alison Saar and Lezley Saar, art is a family affair. The Los Angeles artists have distinct practices, but often explore similar themes, including identity, history, and spirituality. The calendar features four works by each artist dating from 2014 to 2023, with the exception of a sketchbook Betye made circa 1968-70. Lezley’s painting “Nella Larsen…Passing” (2003) graces the cover.

Cover art: ERNIE BARNES, “The Tunesmith,” 1978. © Ernie Barnes Family Trust. | Published by Andrews McMeel

Ernie Barnes 2024 Wall Calendar

Ernie Barnes is celebrated for his heartfelt representations of Black life in the South, the experiences of African American women, the magic of music, and the triumphs and challenges of athletes across a range of sports, including football, which he played professionally before focusing on his career as an artist. “The Sugar Shack,” his most famous painting, and a variety of other images by the artist are presented in the calendar, including “Porch Ladies,” “Lift Every Voice,” and “The Bassist,” with “The Tunesmith” gracing the cover.

Cover art: WHITFIELD LOVELL, “Kin X (My Pretty),” 2008. © Whitfield Lovell, Courtesy DC Moore Gallery | Published by Pomegranate

Whitfield Lovell 2024 Wall Calendar. | Amazon, $15.99

Inspired by photographs of anonymous African Americans dating from emancipation to the civil rights era, Whitfield Lovell‘s installations and mixed-media works explore identity, history, and heritage. The calendar focuses on the artist’s Kin series, Conté crayon drawings produced between 2008 and 2011 that pair portraits with vintage objects rich with meaning and metaphor, suggesting the personal histories of the subjects.

Cover art: MOE BROOKER (1940-2022), “Present Futures,” 2006 (mixed media and encaustic on wood panel, 48 × 48 inches / 121.9 × 121.9 cm). | © Moe Brooker. Purchased with funds contributed by Marion Boulton Stroud. Accession Number: 2006-149-1

African American Artists 2024 Wall Calendar. | Philadelphia Museum of Art Store, $26

Featuring works from the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the calendar celebrates African American art throughout the year. Beauford Delaney, Moe Brooker, Aaron Douglas, William H. Johnson, Jacob Lawrence, Odili Donald Odita, Horace Pippin, Henry O. Tanner, Alma Thomas, and Dox Thrash, are among the artists represented. The calendar is spiral bound.

Cover art: CHARLES WHITE, “Mother Courage II,” 1974 (oil on canvas, 49 3/4 × 39 7/8 inches). © The Charles White Archives, National Academy of Design, New York, N.Y. | Published by Pomegranate

African American Art 2024 Wall Calendar. | Amazon, $15.99

A selection of works by some of the most important African American artists active in the 20th century is featured in the calendar. Works by Emma Amos, Edward Mitchell Bannister, Romare Bearden, Eldzier Cortor, Allan Rohan Crite, Lois Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Archibald Motley Jr., Faith Ringgold, Alma Woodsey Thomas, Laura Wheeler Waring, and Charles White are included, drawn from a variety of institutions including the National Academy of Design, Saint Louis Art Museum, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, and Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.

Cover art: JACOB LAWRENCE, “General Toussaint L’Ouverture,” 1986. © The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation, Seattle/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, Courtesy DC Moore Gallery | Published by Pomegranate

Jacob Lawrence 2024 Wall Calendar. | Amazon, $15.99

The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture was the first narrative series Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) produced. Painted on 41 panels from 1936-38, the series documented the dramatic arc of L’Ouverture’s life, from being born enslaved to becoming a general and key leader of the Haitian Revolution. Half a century later, Lawrence returned to the project, recreating the series in a suite of 15 silkscreen prints made between 1986 and 1997 in collaboration with Lou Stovall of Workshop Inc., in Washington, D.C. The images included in the calendar are drawn from the print series with the first work “General Toussaint L’Ouverture” (1986), a portrait of the legendary figure in profile, gracing the cover.

KITCHEN & HOME

A new collaboration, Williams Sonoma x Sheila Bridges Harlem Toile introduces an extensive line of products, including a set of cotton cocktail napkins

Sheila Bridges: Harlem Toile Cotton Cocktail Napkins. | Williams Sonoma, $19.95

The set of cotton cocktail napkins from Williams Sonoma x Sheila Bridges Harlem Toile, features a different design on each of the four napkins, a “scene of contemporary life that playfully satirizes both old and new cultural narratives.” The napkins are part of a new collaboration with renowned interior designer Sheila Bridges that features her Harlem Toile de Jouy design on an extensive line of home, kitchen, and bar products. The napkins are 10 inches square and made with 100 percent cotton.

A new collaboration, Williams Sonoma x Sheila Bridges Harlem Toile introduces an extensive line of products, including a double-wall ice bucket

Sheila Bridges: Harlem Toile Ice Bucket. | Williams Sonoma, $129.95

From celebrated interior designer Sheila Bridges, a new collaboration features her Harlem Toile de Jouy design on an extensive line of home, kitchen, and bar products. Williams Sonoma x Sheila Bridges Harlem Toile includes a double-wall ice bucket made of enameled and lacquered stainless steel, trimmed with polished brass. The bucket is 6 1/2 inches in diameter and 8 inches high, with a three-quart capacity. (Each ice bucket is unique, due to variations in hand craftsmanship.)

The tea towel features, WANGECHI MUTU, “Intertwined,” 2002 (watercolor with collage on paper, Image: 16 1/8 × 12 1/8 inches 40.96 × 30.8 cm). | Gift of Mary and Bob Mersky, Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2021.115.6. © Wangechi Mutu

Wangechi Mutu: Intertwined Tea Towel. | Third Drawer Down, $27

“Wangechi Mutu: Intertwined,” presenting more than 100 works across Wangechi Mutu‘s 25-year career, was on view at the New Museum in New York in the spring. The exhibition’s title work, a watercolor collage called “Intertwined,” is featured on the cotton tea towel. The project was designed and produced exclusively by Third Drawer Down in partnership with the New Museum in New York.

The mug is based on FAITH RINGGOLD, “Black Light Series #12: Party Time,” 1969 (oil on canvas, 59 3/4 x 85 1/2 inches / 152 x 217 cm). | © 2019 Faith Ringgold / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, Courtesy ACA Galleries, New York. Photo by Ron Amstutz

Faith Ringgold: Party Time Mug. | Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s MCA Store, $17.95

Produced on the occasion of “Faith Ringgold: American People,” the expansive survey exhibition previously presented at the de Young Museum in San Francisco and currently on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the ceramic mug features “Black Light Series #12: Party Time” (1969), a painting by Faith Ringgold. The mug holds 15 ounces and measures 4.5 x 3.5 inches.

The trinket box features FAITH RINGGOLD, “Black Light Series #7: Ego Painting,” 1969 (oil on canvas, 76 × 76 cm / 30 × 30 inches). | Art Institute of Chicago, 2019.184. Copyright © 2019 Faith Ringgold / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Faith Ringgold: Ego Painting Trinket Box. | Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s MCA Store, $38

Created to celebrate “Faith Ringgold: American People,” the expansive survey exhibition currently on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the small trinket box features “Black Light Series #7: Ego Painting” (1969) by Faith Ringgold. The powerful painting is included in the exhibition and also covers the exhibition catalog. Made of wood and laminated wood, the box has a single drawer and measures 5.5 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches. The box is available in two additional designs.

Basquiat New Wave Towel. | Artwork © Jean-Michel Basquiat Estate. Licensed by Artestar, New York

Jean-Michel Basquiat New Wave Beach Towel. | Rome Pays Off, $120

The beach towel features “New York/New Wave,” an early work by Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988), commemorating a seminal moment in the artist’s career. The painting was exhibited in a group exhibition titled “New York/New Wave,” after Basquiat’s work. Presented at P.S. 1 gallery in 1981 (now MoMA PS1), the show turned out to be a launch pad that transformed the artist’s career. The towel is 100 percent cotton terry and measures 39.3 x 64 inches (100 x 164 cm).

The name of the beach towel project (“Gimme That Sand & Sea”) reflects the titles CHRISTINA QUARLES gives to her paintings, pithy and poignant, shorthand spoken-style language with phonetic spellings that resonates with her visual images.

Christina Quarles: Gimme That Sand & Sea Towel. | Hauser & Wirth Shop, $85

The towel was created on the occasion of the recent exhibition“Christina Quarles: Come In From An Endless Place” at Hauser & Wirth Menorca, the artist’s first exhibition in Spain. Studies in color and form, Christina Quarles‘s compositions explore identity and the human the human figure. The cotton towel measures 86 x 168 cm. Another beach towel featuring Quarles work is also available (“Sorry I Missed Yew,” with sales benefitting Walk the Walk USA, a volunteer initiative that focuses on voter empowerment).

The chair features a design from LORETTA PETTWAY, “Roman Stripes Variation Quilt,” 1970 (pieced cotton twill, denim twill, plaid cotton/polyester blend twill, and synthetic knit, 7 feet 2 inches × 70 3/4 inches / 218.4 × 179.7 cm). | Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2017-229-7. © 2023 Loretta Pettway / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Gee’s Bend: Loretta Pettway Mod Chair. | Philadelphia Museum of Art Store, $998

Based on the design of Loretta Pettway‘s “Roman Stripes Variation Quilt” (1970), which is in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the chair is part of PMA x Cloth & Company: Gee’s Bend Edition. Exclusive to the museum, the furniture collaboration includes nearly 30 items and is inspired the work of five Gee’s Bend, Ala., quilt artists. Produced by Cloth & Co., a women-led, family-owned company, the upholstered furniture features digitally reproduced artwork licensed from the artists and is made on-demand in Chicago. The chair is upholstered with 100 percent cotton fabric and measures 29 inches wide, 31 inches in depth, and 35 inches high.

The ottoman features a design from ANNIE E. PETTWAY, “Flying Geese Variation Quilt,” circa 1935 (pieced cotton and wool, 7 feet 2 inches × 71 inches / 218.4 × 180.3 cm). | Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2017-229-5. © 2023 Estate of Annie E. Pettway / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Gee’s Bend: Annie E. Pettway Large Round Ottoman, Philadelphia Museum of Art Store, $649

Based on Annie E. Pettway‘s “Fly Geese Variation Quilt” (circa 1935), a work in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the ottoman is part of PMA x Cloth & Company: Gee’s Bend Edition. Exclusive to the museum, the furniture collaboration includes nearly 30 items and is inspired the work of five Gee’s Bend, Ala., artists. Produced by Cloth & Co., a women-led, family-owned company, the upholstered furniture features digitally reproduced artwork licensed from the artists and is made on-demand in Chicago. The ottoman is upholstered with 100 percent cotton fabric and measures 36 inches in diameter, 16 inches high. CT

Editor’s Note: The featured items are subject to availability and described based on each vendor’s summary. Stated prices reflect pricing at time of publication. Products sold by museum shops may be available at discounted prices for members

FIND MORE For additional ideas, see Previous Gift Guides (some items may no longer be available)

POST, Texas (KCBD) – Just a few weeks ago, drivers in Post, Texas, could spot a blank wall right off US Highway 84 between 10th and Main Street. That wall has since been drastically transformed, thanks to street artist Calina “Cal” Mishay.

What was once a blank and beige canvas now displays a wide assortment of spray-painted flowers and cacti. By the end of the year, Cal hopes to have done the same to three other unknown spots in town.

“We were able to put some color in here and put some flowers, and now when you drive down it’s just as exciting, right?,” Mishay said. “It’s like ‘If this is here, there must be some other neat things going on in Post’, and there is!”

The original project has considerably grown from what Cal had envisioned originally.

“We were going to actually do only do half the wall, and it turned into the whole wall once you got started, which is great,” she said.

While the Rule, Texas-native wants people to stop and admire her hard work, she also wants visitors to take in Post as well.

“We want people to stop and take pictures and selfies, and post that they were in Post, Texas. True to the heart of West Texas, where we are the history here, the people here, and just images and things that we’re used to seeing – but in a new, fresh, colorful way that also catches the eye of the tourists and people who just want to take a pretty picture in front of something and post on their social media to let people know where they’re at shopping that day,” Mishay said.

“And the whole goal is not just to do pretty murals, but how do we use these murals and help people want to find Post, explore Post, know what Post is about.”

In the midst of her hard work, Cal plans to step aside this Saturday, and enjoy the town’s main holiday event, “Light Up Post”.

“That’s all I’ve been hearing about is ‘Light Up Post,’ and so I’m going to definitely take that day off,” she said. “Maybe I’ll work a little bit so people can see the artists at work, but I also want to do all the things that there is to do during “Light Up Post”. It’s gonna be really fun.”

Her Post progress can be followed on Instagram, @CalinaMishay.

Copyright 2023 KCBD. All rights reserved.

“Disruption” is on display until Dec. 29.

CHEROKEE, N.C. — November is Native American Heritage Month, and at the Museum of the Cherokee People in western North Carolina, visitors can experience Cherokee history and culture. However, it was recently discovered culturally sensitive items were on display.

WCNC Charlotte’s Sarah French took a trip up to Cherokee, North Carolina, to learn more about how the museum responded with the help of Cherokee artists. 

“We have a responsibility to our community to make sure that we’re not doing anything that doesn’t align with our Cherokee protocol,” executive director Shana Bushyhead Condill said. 

Founded in 1948, the Museum of the Cherokee People is one of the oldest tribal museums in the country.

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“It was urgent,” Condill said.

She said the museum recently had to pull several objects from display.

“We realized we had ceremonial and funerary objects that should not be on view,” Condill said. “We took about 117 objects off view. At that time, what do we do with those empty cases?” 

The current exhibit at the museum, called “Disruption,” was just what its name suggests.

“That became a learning opportunity,” Condill explained. 

The museum’s education director, Dakota Brown, advocated for Cherokee artists to step in.

“It’s not always an easy story to tell… it’s not always just black and white,”  Brown told French, adding, “We’re not descendants of — we are Cherokee people.”

Cherokee artists responded with contemporary art that can now be seen throughout the museum.

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“We’re still writing our story, and we’re still telling our story,” Brown explained.  

“People don’t have a clear idea of what contemporary Cherokee people are today,” Condill added.

The museum is now working to raise awareness of a group of people who haven’t always had their voices heard.

“I’ll tell you in the museum world, you know, we were sort of 20 years ago saying, ‘Hey, what if you ask native people to be at the table when you’re doing an exhibit about native people?’ — that was the question that we were asking 20 years ago,” Condill explained. “And today, we have the honor and privilege of doing it ourselves… This is going to be in our own voice, which is so incredibly powerful that we moved that far in the museum world in 20 years. I love it.”

“Disruption” is on display until Dec. 29. The museum is also gearing up for a brand-new renovation. They’re open every day 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Contact Sarah French at Sarah@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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Amidst the construction chaos at the Portland Art Museum for the Rothko Pavilion that will connect the museum’s two larger buildings, Africa Fashion opened to the public on November 19. The exhibition arrives in Portland after a 2022 debut at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and its most recent stint at the Brooklyn Museum. 

The Portland iteration of the show, which joins the museum’s expansive current exhibition Black Artists of Oregon,  includes more than 50 outfits by 40 designers from 21 different countries and “honors the irresistible creativity, ingenuity, and unstoppable global impact of contemporary African fashions.” In the words of Christine Chekinska, the show’s curator and the first curator of African and African diaspora fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the show focuses on “abundance rather than lack,” a reversal of the way Africa is often portrayed in Western contexts. 

The exhibition’s Portland installation, thanks to the coordinated efforts of PAM’s Minor White Curator of Photography, Julia Dolan, and the local architectural firm LEVER Architecture, is flawless. The undulating, stepped dais that accommodates the mannequins in the largest space of the exhibition, the Maribeth Collins Gallery, not only facilitates viewing the clothing from all angles but also gives the impression of a sculptural catwalk. The platform doesn’t move, and neither do the mannequins, but the space left me with the undeniable impression of motion and momentum.

Dynamism of display is the only viable approach to showcasing the visual intrigue of the fashions on display. Imane Ayissi’s brilliant magenta satin couture gown that incorporates the traditional grass fringe of the designer’s native Cameroon sets the tone for the exhibition: The fashions on display are as innovative as they are culturally resonant.

In addition to the outfits themselves, the exhibition includes photographs and other ephemera such as magazine covers and commemorative cloth fragments, such as this one depicting Nelson Mandela for the African National Congress from 1991. The vitrines are impeccable; wall colors are chosen perfectly to contrast the visuals of the clothing; written framing gives information both about individual works and relevant context to help viewers. 

The timeline of the exhibition begins in the mid-20th century with the African independence movements, and continues to the present day. In her remarks at the press opening on Friday, November 17, Chechinska spoke of the show as emblematic of Afrofuturism and Afrotopia, imagining all that Africa is now and can be in the future. 

The press preview for Africa Fashion was exactly what I expect in a press preview. There was excitement over the new exhibit, and the assembled journalists, donors, and a couple of invited guests were happy to be there and to listen to the museum director and curators’ framing of the new exhibit. The exhibit itself is exhilarating, and I found myself jockeying for viewing positions to see the displays: Everyone seemed intent on seeing the same thing at the same time.

The opening of Africa Fashion was noteworthy to me in contrast to the last press opening at the Portland Art Museum, for the exhibit Black Artists of Oregon on September 8. Both center work by people of the African diaspora. But as exhibitions, they operate differently and in fact are fundamentally different. Writing a review of Africa Fashion gave me no pause. I’ve been trying to write about Black Artists of Oregon for the last two-plus months.

*** 

The event in early September for Black Artists of Oregon was billed as an “opening celebration,” and a celebration it was, with the press preview part tacked on. Instead of the small assortment of people taking notes and thinking about deadlines (journalists) and the collection of people clad in subtly expensive clothes (donors), with a few invited guests, the September event was overwhelmed with non-journalist, non-donor, invited guests. I can’t remember seeing the galleries so full: It felt like a party where almost everyone knew each other, or if they didn’t know each other, they knew someone who knew someone else and needed to be introduced. There was embracing and joy amongst what was, it is relevant to note, a primarily Black audience.

Whereas in the Africa Fashion preview the PAM and curatorial staff spoke first and then we viewed the exhibition, in the Black Artists in Oregon exhibit, which was curated by Intisar Abioto, the galleries were open before the program began. In September, many of the artists and their families were present. I can’t remember ever seeing so many people taking pictures of themselves with the art; posed photographs that captured not just the art in the space but also captured their presence with that art in the space. Maneuvering for viewing position wasn’t as difficult as maneuvering through the space, trying not to be an unwelcome presence in other people’s snapshots.

The energy at the opening festivities was palpable. The curator’s sister, Amenta Abioto, gave a vocal performance, and there were extended performances by dancers and percussionists. The festivities continued throughout the opening weekend and are celebrated in this short video published by the museum. When Intisar Abioto spoke about the exhibition and what it meant to have this exhibition in the Portland Art Museum, I saw more than one attendee moved to tears. Abioto’s speech included the following charge: “I want people to think about what it means for Black people to be in the museum space and feel safe.” 

When artist Bobby Fouther spoke, he mentioned that he has always loved being in New York and Washington, D.C., because of the Black arts community in those cities. He said that September night was the first time he felt that community in Portland. It was a remarkable event.

It was also more than two months ago.

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I intended to write the Black Artists of Oregon review quickly. It should have been an easy task. The premise of the show is appealing. I like writing about shows at the Portland Art Museum. I’ve written about the work of artists in the show. I’ve edited stories that ArtsWatch has published on other artists in the show. The show boasts the work of students and current and former colleagues from PNCA. I went to, and was impressed by, the opening. 

Yet I couldn’t shake the nagging suspicion that that review – the quick one that mentions how important it is to have a show of work by Black artists working in Oregon at the Portland Art Museum and hits on a couple of standout works – would gravely miss the mark. Multiple visits to the show, a long conversation with Abioto, and seeing Africa Fashion helped me to figure out why, and the issues are interrelated: (1) this exhibition is not an endpoint; (2) what is deserving of attention exceeds what is on display. 

***

Black Artists in Oregon is curated by “photographer, dancer, and writer” Intisar Abioto. Abioto has become a fixture of the Portland art scene since her arrival in 2010. She started the Instagram account @theblackportlanders, using street photography and conversation to “show the breadth of the Black communities in Portland, OR.” Her energy and enthusiasm is seemingly limitless. ArtsWatch has featured many of her projects, including a discussion of her projects with Dmae Lo Roberts for a Stage and Studio podcast on ArtsWatch last year. 

The current exhibition at PAM grew out of Abioto’s research on Black artists in Oregon, begun in 2018 as part of a Community Storytelling Fellowship grant from Oregon Humanities. The 2019 story from that grant, “Black Mark, Black Legend,” has all the hallmarks and energy of the starting gate of a project deserving years of investment of time and energy. The article features longer profiles of Thelma Johnson Streat and Bobby Fouther, and names several other Black artists working in Oregon whose work isn’t well-documented in the historical record for future consideration. 

The leap from the 2019 story to the 2023 exhibition isn’t so much a leap as a rocket launch: The exhibition includes work by 69 artists from Oregon’s past and present. Identifying all of those artists and securing their work for exhibition was a major undertaking. While some of the artists are well-known, many are not, and without Abioto’s tireless enthusiasm for the project they would have been overlooked. Funding for the exhibition came from several prestigious grants, including the Terra Foundation for American Art, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Meyer Memorial Trust, the Ford Family Foundation, and others. 

The space in the museum is full. The walls, particularly in two long, narrow gallery spaces, feel especially laden; the works are almost crowded together. The congestion opens up in the largest gallery space, purposefully designed to highlight a low stage in the center of the room. 

My initial impression of the exhibition in September was that I wanted more information than was available in the museum. Of the 69 artists featured in the show there were far more names I didn’t recognize than those I did, and I wanted to know more about those artists – who they were, what their experiences in Oregon were, how the curator saw the work as contributing to the larger narrative of the Black artistic community in the state. 

The Bloomberg Connects audio tour does provide some of this background. (I didn’t have headphones on my first visit, and didn’t realize that there was a transcript available through the app.) The audio clips, attached by numbers or QR codes to individual works, are excellent. Most feature Abioto providing a frame for the artists to talk about their work, often exactly about how it relates to Black identity and lived experience in Oregon. There are also, to date, six episodes of the Art Unbound podcast that feature conversations between Abioto and artists from the exhibition along with DJ Ambush of the Numberz FM. The podcast episodes also pick up these themes. 

Engaging with these alternate didactics definitely helped crack open the show for me, particularly in helping me to understand how much time and energy had gone into even getting the works that are in the show amassed in the museum. Of course, Africa Fashion necessitated energy to come to fruition as well, but the resources allotment seems different, the work of a dedicated Senior Curator of African and Diaspora Textiles and Fashion (Dr. Christine Checinska) and a “Project Curator” (Elisabeth Murray). Abioto had support from the museum, but much of the work wasn’t of a kind that museum staff could necessarily assist, it was embodied research, and only by living could Abioto engage in it.  

For example, in the audio guide, Abioto explains that she bought one of the works by Ray Eaglin on eBay. Abioto first learned of Eaglin as an artist in conversation with Bobby Fouther as part of her earlier research attached to the Oregon Humanities grant in 2019; she met Fouther soon after arriving in Portland in 2010. Recognizing the eBay find as Eaglin’s work took background knowledge, because while the eBay listing indicated Eaglin’s authorship of his work, the image pictured first was the front side of the canvas, and the work of another artist entirely. Eaglin’s work is on the backside of the canvas, inside the wooden stretches. 

The audio guide recounts Eaglin’s daughter’s belief that although her father created close to a 1,000 works of art in his lifetime, the majority have been lost. Abioto follows up with the following statement: “To me, this is indicative of the history of displacement in Portland: When families and communities can’t settle, can’t stay where they are, when Black families are constantly moved and displaced, where are our works? Where are our things held?”

Tracing where things were, who the artists are and were, and even who to ask for the next lead, necessitated an embodiment that is unlike art historical research as I know it in the traditional sense. Abioto couldn’t just search the Portland Art Museum collections, or go to the library, or sift through archives: The information she was after was very conspicuously absent from those places. Instead, gathering the information required being in the community and listening accordingly. 

The research connections could only have been forged by Abioto. In the second episode of the Art Unbound podcast, Abioto describes how an artist named Thomas Unthank contacted her with information about Black arts groups from the 1980s, including the Black Artists Guild and the Members Gallery, after finding her through the Oregon Humanities article. Unthank gave Abioto documents and even slides from shows.

In those slides, Abioto saw and was captivated by Nick Jones’ textile works. She was able to find many of the artists on the lists, with the exception of Nick Jones. Later, though, she was explaining to the activist and photographer Richard Brown about how she couldn’t find Jones, and Brown was able to connect her to Jones – which, after all that, was only a phone number and not the work of getting to know Jones and his fascinating story, which weaves together fiber art, the NBA, and a cooking show, among other things: The podcast episode is truly fascinating. 

Jones’ rope sculpture, with its braided, frayed and wrapped strands suspended on a spindled rod, graces a dividing wall in the opening room of the exhibition. 

These accounts of labor-filled discovery are embedded into the exhibition, but not immediately evident in the galleries. The extent to which the artists in this exhibition are not the ones who have been celebrated or kept in the historical record is a subtext; but one that bears forthright acknowledgment. Abioto pointed to this in her remarks at the opening. There’s a summation in “Black Mark, Black Legend” as well: 

“Living as a Black artist helps you read the possibilities, the purposeful absences, determine the situation, its gifts or its detriments, even when the historical proof in the archive or the canon is not there. The historical record doesn’t conceive of us in our full human expression and possibility, if it conceives of us at all.”

Many of the artists in Black Artists of Oregon haven’t been considered by art history or the art establishment as artists – the consideration has been fragmentary, if there has been consideration at all. In the exhibition, there are some longer explanations of the works, but the bulk of those were written by PAM curators for works that were already in the PAM collections, and these are few and far between. 

Abioto’s themed subsections – Of Definitions, Collective Presence, Expanse, Being and Kinship, Collective Liberating – are all evocative and offer helpful insight into how she conceived of the larger project. “Collective Liberating” is notable in its embrace of the gerund “ing” rather than the more typical “Liberation.” Abioto felt strongly about indicating that Black liberation is an ongoing process rather than something that has been definitively or conclusively achieved: “I purposefully did not put ‘collective liberation.’” 

This notion of ongoing process is central, but with an exhibit of this temporal range – almost 140 years from the earliest work in the show (Grafton Tyler Brown’s painting A Canyon River with Pines and Figures (Yellowstone), from 1886) to the present – and in Oregon, which has such a fraught relationship with its Black community, more context would have been welcome. 

Initially, I thought the choice to not include extensive didactics was deliberate. The opening exhibition panel explains that the exhibition was “curated with intentional respect for African diasporic practices of listening, keeping, respecting, and passing on each others’ stories.” I thought that this tied in with the wall didactics – a wall didactic would be an authority transfer, because it externalizes the story in a way that is at odds with the practice of “listening and passing on stories.” When there are context panels, the exhibition tells the story. The danger, of course, is that this could potentially give the impression that this is the Portland Art Museum’s story to tell. 

When I spoke with Abioto, she explained that it was a time and capacity issue rather than a deliberate choice. There are plans to add biographic wall tags for each of the artists; it is just part of the exhibition that is still being created. This information will also be in the exhibition catalog that should come out by the end of the show’s run in March. 

Abioto is conscious and thoughtful about the exhibition and her own learning process: She doesn’t claim to be an expert curator or art historian. She acknowledged that other scholars in the community had implored her to include more writing, more formal and academically oriented scholarship. She has plans to do this, and given her prodigious skill and capacity, I have no qualms that it will happen. 

Formal writing and more traditional didactics will be a welcome addition, but harping on this doesn’t embrace the exhibition’s iterative quality. It has a sense of an ongoingness that I don’t think of as typical with exhibitions. Usually the exhibition is an endpoint, the public display of all of the making and research. This is certainly the case with Africa Fashion: It feels complete, tidy, and in that case an especially shiny, package. 

With Black Artists of Oregon, though, the exhibition can’t be complete, because it is an exhibition of a community that is not only historical but also exists in the present and into the future. It’s why the opening was about who was in the galleries and how the galleries were occupied and equally why so much of Abioto’s social media has been showing the Black community in the galleries with the art. Black Artists of Oregon is about so much more than what is on the walls at 1219 S.W. Park Avenue. 

Abioto acknowledged this in our conversation, noting that the project started out as a journalistic enterprise, and while it may be an exhibit now, there’s room for transformation: “But what if it isn’t an exhibit? Or it’s not only an exhibit? What if the charge of the challenge of this is that we have gotten this show up? [Instead,] Who is coming into this space? What are their thoughts? How are people being challenged? It is an exhibit now but what else will it be?”

***

In the midst of all of my not writing about Black Artists of Oregon, another show went up at PAM at the end of October: Throughlines: Connections in the Collection. Slated to run through November 2024, the exhibition was billed by the museum as “a fresh look at the Portland Art Museum’s collections by bringing together artworks from diverse geographies, cultures, and time periods that do not typically share a gallery. … Leading with a sense of curiosity and wonder, the curatorial team searched the collections, reflecting on the ways art connects everyone across time.” 

Throughlines consists of themed galleries, including ones centered on the ideas of “Pose,” “Environment,” and “Color.” I’m all for cross-geographical and cross-temporal exhibitions of the permanent collections for any museum, and I’ve advocated for this as a solution to some of the larger historical institutional inequities that plague Western art museums, particularly in the United States. The themes here felt flimsier than I was hoping for, especially “Color,” but I understand this installation is a temporary solution, more intended to bridge the gap during the renovation and expansion of the museum than to offer a new and comprehensive vision for display. 

What did surprise me about Throughlines, though, was the extent to which I saw the display of particular artworks not only in relationship to one another as connected to the overarching theme, but also in terms of their previous contexts of display at the museum. For example, “Environments” included Francesco Fidanza’s painting Vesuvius Erupting at Night, which was featured in the 2020 Volcano! Mount St. Helens in Art show; and Chris McCaw’s Sunburned GSP #428 (Sunset, Sunrise, Arctic Circle, Alaska), which was included in the 2021 Ansel Adams in Our Time show. I could give similar provenance for most works in the show, and that provenance affirms the museum’s institutional history and authority: It is embedded in the display. 

This is entirely appropriate for Throughlines, since the works are all pulled from the museum’s permanent collection. For Black Artists of Oregon and even for Africa Fashion, the museum’s history and authority is another prospect entirely. 

When installed in Portland, or even Brooklyn, for that matter, the exhibition Africa Fashion loses some important institutional context. It was put together by the Victoria and Albert Museum of London. In the case of many countries in Africa, the independence movements that open the exhibition were a breaking away from the British Empire.

This display of African fashion and textiles is the first in the 170-year history of the V&A. The show shaped the museum’s permanent collections as well; the museum acquired 70 pieces due to the show. This investment is an intriguing shift for the V&A considering the museum’s undeniable connection to Britain’s colonial history. In Portland, it’s a lovely show, but it loses some of this historical import. 

With Black Artists of Oregon there is a not unrelated tension: Part of what every short (and timely) review of the show has pointed out is the importance of the Portland Art Museum staging an exhibition of work by Black artists. 

Abioto is aware of this. We spoke about her concern that the “site becomes another voice” and about working to not be “subsumed by the bigness of the institution.” The energy of Black Artists of Oregon is not the Portland Art Museum’s to control. Abioto has purposefully worked in tandem with PAM to bring this exhibition to fruition, but the larger project isn’t about the exhibition, it’s about community. The exhibition is a waystop rather than an endpoint.

***

At the end of one of the galleries is a mural made from a photograph by Richard Brown, in which a girl, I’d guess four years old or so, presses her hand against a vitrine and gazes up at an African mask on a pedestal. The girl’s expression is one of skepticism: Her lips are twisted over; she’s giving what I can only describe as a bit of side-eye. I imagine her internal dialogue as asking the figure, “What are you doing here? How did you get in that case? What am I doing here? What’s this all about, anyway?”

Abioto laughed when I asked her about the girl’s expression. Apparently it wasn’t on any other interviewer’s list; no one else asked. She says she didn’t “purposely put it there that way,” but it seems too perfect to me. I can almost hear the girl advising: “This exhibition, this is what’s here now but if you think that’s the whole story, you’ve totally missed the point.”