Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection
Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas, Executive Director, Arts Mid-Hudson
The new year brings the promise of new beginnings and adventures. We are lucky to live in the Hudson Valley where no matter your resolutions for the year to come, you can find it here. If your goal this year is to take in more art and culture, our region is home to many beautiful and historic museums, galleries, theaters, colleges, libraries, and gardens. What many people may not be aware of is the incredible free access to art from antiquity to present at The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center on the campus of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie. The current exhibit on view through January 28, Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection, 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 College is a historically Black liberal arts college for women located in Atlanta, Georgia. The parallels between Vassar and Spelman include the two colleges’ commitment to art. The exhibition at the Loeb is the inaugural show in a five-stop, nationwide tour, made possible through the Art Bridges Foundation. “We are honored to be the first stop for Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection,” said Mary-Kay Lombino, Deputy Director and Emily Hargroves Fisher & and Richard B. Fisher Curator at The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. “I had the privilege of experiencing the exhibition firsthand in Atlanta and was immediately struck by the strength and depth of the collection as well as the organic synergies between the histories of Spelman and Vassar, as well as the visions guiding both institutions today.”
As you walk through the gallery, the show is grouped in five sections: Spiral Group artists, Abstraction, Early Figuration, Contemporary Figuration, and Contemporary Photography. Beverly Buchanan, who spent most of her life in Georgia, is best known for sculptural homes that were inspired by dwellings she saw made with simple materials throughout the rural South.
Focusing on conceptual photography in the back gallery. Carrie Mae Weems has a double self portrait entitled, I Looked and Looked but Failed to See What so Terrified You (Louisiana Project series), as well as Color Real and Imagined, 2014. Both of the images allow the viewer to dive into the thought of what is meant by color, and the silos society puts people in based on appearance.
In the final room, the work of Firelei Báez will have the viewer entranced by Of Love Possessed. A Dominican American artist, Báez reflects on some of the folklore she received as a child in this work. The Ciguapa are commonly described as a magical being having human female hair. The conflicting views of a beautiful yet horrendous appearance is seen in this work. While there is the tone of mystery and darkness, the figure is crowned with a stunning flower arrangement.
Other events that are coming up in conjunction with this exhibit include, Bring a Friend Day on January 20. Although you can bring a friend anytime, during this event, you can enjoy pop-up installations, engaging tours, and artmaking. On January 21 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. all are welcome to the Community Roundtable and Reception in celebration of the current exhibit honoring the deep cultural contributions of HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) organized in collaboration with Kianga Ellis Projects. Concluding events honoring the founding of Toussaint Louverture College on January 25 at 5:00 p.m.
If you go:
Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection
The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, 124 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY
Dates: Open through January 28, 2024
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Contact: (845) 437-5236
www.vassar.edu/theLoeb
