Enduring Voices Catalogue (6-21-23) - Flipbook - Page 11
Enduring Voices
A Reflection
Tiana Webb Evans
“I am trying to explore, in terms of the particulars
of the life I know best, the things common
- Romare Bearden
to all cultures.”
T
he question is, and always has been, who gets
to tell the story of a people and to whom is the
story being told? The ongoing dissolution of static
hierarchies has made the act of storytelling a dynamic
matter of public interest and participation. The Goodes
are storytellers of a special class. They are art collectors
and connoisseurs whose visions, expressed in the work
they acquire, loop time by capturing the past, defining
the present, and informing the future. An intuitionforward approach to collecting art, a love of history, and
a sensitivity to history’s currents and oversights led them
to African American art. The collection of works offer an
intimate portrait of an American experience that, despite
all, is a poignant example of unfettered humanity and
tenderness of spirit.
Intimacy is a topical ideal. The opportunity for connection
and contemplation of the African American experience
is rhythmically layered, subtle, and holistic. From Romare
Bearden to Whitfield Lovell to Betye Saar and Faith
Ringold, the artists presented are seeking their stories and
ancestors. Expressed through experiential, mystical, and
allegorical reference, the artists actively piece together
broken links and lost stories. In an act of curatorial
ingenuity, the artists speak directly to us through the
quotes shared throughout the exhibition. These elegant
expressions deeply anchor the work and weather waves
of a centuries-long storm.
It has once been said, “Be careful of the stories you tell
children, because they become the truths for adults.”
Museums are the authoritative receptacles of our stories,
beliefs, and values. They either reinforce fiction or
illuminate truths. As part of the ‘belief machine,” which
includes schools, media, and places of worship, the
museum is a whale and we, the Jonahs, stand to be
inspired by the quiet contemplation and renewed visions
offered in these spaces.
We are less great, less mighty, and tragically unexceptional
when we are willfully blind to the stories of our fellow
Americans. Sharing stories, space, and power are
vital elements in healing a country. Moving toward
understanding requires intimate storytelling. Fortunately,
there are as many ways to tell stories as there are to listen
to them. The challenge for each of us is to figure out how
we best receive new stories, so they can be transformative
vehicles of progress and connection.
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