Movement and Meaning: Black Artists in the 20th Century

Aug 9, 4 pm Sept 9, 4 pm This guided tour, led by Joan Tisch Teaching Fellow Katherine Cheairs, takes visitors on a journey through the work of 20th-century Black artists featured in the permanent collection exhibition “Untitled” (America). Featured artists include Barkley L. Hendricks, Richmond Barthé, Eldzier Cortor, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Alma Thomas. Viewing the work through the lens of movement, we consider how these artists explore history, identity, and personhood in geographic, political, and aesthetic terms. Katherine “Kat” Cheairs, MFA, is a Joan Tisch Teaching Fellow at the Whitney and an interdisciplinary artist, curator, educator, and researcher. Cheairs holds a BA in Political Science from Tufts University and an MFA in Film from the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in art and art education at Teachers College, Columbia University, where their research focuses on arts-based research, Black feminist theory, Black studies, queer theory, and affect studies. They are also a frequent collaborator on archival and video-based projects at the intersection of AIDS, art, and activism and currently serve on the board of Visual AIDS.