Author: Jacqueline Francis
Writer, researcher, educator, curator, arts consultant, and occasional artist in San Francisco, California. I'm Dean of the Humanities and Science Division at California College of the Arts.
Visualizing a US White Racial Identity
Photo by Chris Arnade from The Guardian
Chris Arnade‘s piece in today’s Guardian is interesting for what this New York-based photojournalist writes and who he photographs in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. In a town that proclaims its ethno-racial homogeneity–an adjective often summoned to characterize Iceland and Japan–and its socio-economic ethos as well, we have to wonder who wasn’t interviewed, photographed, or seen. Who doesn’t make it into the final account?
Who owns the Hardee’s franchise, the now-closed mine, and the strip mall? Where do these proprietors live and where do their children go to school? How do they identify socially, ethnically, racially, and class-wise? How do they look and how do they present their looks? The Petersboro resident quoted in the story’s last paragraphy seems confident in knowing how he and his neighbors will be presented.
Life in Appalachia: Walmart, church, politics and a tight community – in pictures
Arnade’s essay and its photos prompt me to think about “then-and-now” issues: they follow on the heels of my visit to a University of San Francisco colleague’s “Black US Cinema” class last night. She screened The Blood of Jesus and Within Our Gates for her students. We had a good discussion that touched on Doris Ulmann’s photos of the rural South and Appalachia, Cabin in the Sky, and The Green Pastures. Has the lens trained on rural America changed much since the first half of the twentieth century?
Estamos contra el muro- A project by Sita Kuratomi Bhaumik opening 9.9.2016
A border is, at its core, a mechanism to produce and enforce difference–national, ethnic, racial, and social:
We Against the Wall — exhibition Southern Exposure gallery (San Francisco)
Bhaumik’s work is social practice that embraces the political. Its institutional critique intersects with critical race art history’s concerns.
Filmmakers Cheryl Dunye & Dee Rees @San Francisco State University (Sept. 23-24, 2016)
Portrait of Cheryl Dunye (https://apps.chss.sfsu.edu/newsletters/thewatermelonwoman/index.html)
Black/Feminist/Lesbian/Queer/Trans* Cultural Production: A Symposium Honoring the 20th Anniversary of Cheryl Dunye’s “The Watermelon Woman”
This symposium honors the 20th anniversary of Cheryl Dunye’s film, “The Watermelon Woman” (1996). The first feature film directed by and starring a black lesbian, the production of this film marked a watershed moment for black cinema, feminist cinema, lesbian cinema, and new queer cinema. Appearing in the heyday of what filmmaker and scholar Yvonne Welbon has called the “golden age” of black queer cinema, the film garnered widespread critical acclaim, and its success inspired many black lesbians to create their own films in the years following. Her latest release, “Black is Blue” (2014) is a critically acclaimed narrative short film that follows the life of a black transgender man in Oakland, California. Dunye continues to break ground through complex filmic representations of the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality. Thus, this conference honors Dunye’s growing body of work, as well as her cultural legacy.
Photo of Dee Rees (http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2016/6/29/welcome-to-the-academy-683-of-you.html)
Dee Rees will be in conversation with Cheryl Dunye on Fri., Sept. 23, 2016 @7 p.m. Pacific Time at McKenna Theatre, Creative Arts Building, SFSU.
The Conference, sponsored by The College of Health and Social Sciences, Center for Research and Education on Gender and Sexuality, Dean of the College of Health and Social Sciences, Dean of the College of Creative and Liberal Arts, Jamie and Phyllis Pasker Funds, Queer Cinema Institute at San Francisco State University, Watermelon Woman 3.0, and Black Sexual Economies Working Group (Washington University-St. Louis), is free and open to the public.
For more information on the symposium, please go to: Watermelon Woman Anniversary Symposium
On Cheryl Dunye’s Watermelon Woman: The Watermelon Woman
On Dee Rees, see: Dee Rees at IMDB.COM
JOB: Tenure-track, History of African-American Art @ School of the Art Institute of Chicago | DEADLINE 01/04/2017
FULL-TIME FACULTY IN ART HISTORY, THEORY, AND CRITICISM
The Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) invites applications for a full-time, tenured or tenure track faculty member to begin in August of 2017.
This position is for a historian of African American Art with additional expertise in methodologies, theories, and historiography. Preference will be given to scholars who study the diverse forms and communities of African-American art, and who can demonstrate familiarity with issues of diaspora, migration, and networks of global exchange. This faculty position will play a role in the department’s continued expansion of the intellectual conversation of the field of art and design history at SAIC.
A substantive record of scholarship is expected of senior candidates, as is the promise of continued publication and research output for all applicants.
Rank and salary are competitive with peer institutions and are commensurate with level of practice, scholarship, and current academic research, extent of teaching experience, and current professional standing.
The ideal candidate will contribute to the diversity of the School by bringing a perspective, way of thinking, and/or a unique set of experiences that expand the intellectual conversations in the field.
PROGRAM PROFILE
The Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism, one of 23 departments at the school, is comprised of sixteen full-time art historians specializing in modern and contemporary art and design. Together with 50 part-time faculty, the department currently offers 225 courses, and mentors 30 dedicated MA in Modern and Contemporary Art History students, undergraduate students pursuing a dedicated BA in Art History, and dual-degree graduate students earning an MA in Arts Administration and Policy in conjunction with their MA in Art History. Further information can be found at http://www.saic.edu/academics/departments/arthi/
RESPONSIBILITIES
The successful candidate will contribute to the Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism’s MA and BA programs in Art History, providing undergraduate courses, graduate seminars, and master’s thesis supervision. The candidate will also be an active participant in the education of studio artists, designers, architects, and arts professionals at the MFA, MA and BFA levels and will contribute to the vibrant and creative culture of a research-oriented department in a prestigious art school. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to research, publication, and outstanding teaching. The successful candidate must be capable of performing administrative duties, and provide vision and direction as the department chair on a rotating basis.
QUALIFICATIONS
Ph.D. or ABD is required, some teaching experience preferred for junior candidates. Senior candidates must show evidence of substantial teaching experience. Evidence of on-going research and continued publication trajectory expected. Rank and salary are competitive with peer institutions and are commensurate with quality of scholarship or practice, extent of teaching experience, and current professional standing. Full-time faculty are awarded a twelve-month contract with benefits.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
By or before Wednesday, January 4, 2017 please submit application materials at http://SAICfaculty.slideroom.com. You will be asked to create an account after which time you may complete the application comprised of fill-in fields and uploaded documents. SAIC will underwrite the application fees; you will not be charged to apply for the position. You are encouraged to begin the application well before the deadline. No applications may be submitted beyond the deadline for any reason.
Complete the fields for: educational background; current position; and contact information for three professional references.
Please convert all word documents into PDFs before uploading. Required files to upload include: cover letter stating interests and qualifications; curriculum vitae; and writing samples (combined maximum of 30 pages).
QUESTIONS
Questions regarding the School and its open positions, application procedures, or the search process may be emailed to saicteach@saic.edu. Please consult http://www.saic.edu for information on the School and its programs, or go to:
http://www.saic.edu/about/jobsatsaic for open positions and application procedures.
ABOUT SAIC
A leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) offers undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate programs to students from across the globe.
Located in the heart of Chicago, the School is one of the largest and oldest private schools of art and design in the country with programs reflecting current practices in art. SAIC’s educational philosophy is built upon a trans-disciplinary approach to art and design that provides unparalleled opportunities for students to develop their creative and critical abilities with renowned faculty who are leading practitioners in their fields.
SAIC’s resources include the Art Institute of Chicago and its Modern Wing, and numerous special collections and programming venues that provide students with exceptional exhibitions, screenings, lectures, and performances. The campus is located on Chicago’s magnificent lakefront amid the city’s cultural and architectural treasures.
The School currently enrolls 3,590 students in 15 studio departments and 8 academic departments. There are 153 full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty and visiting artists, and 693 adjunct and part-time faculty supported by 300 staff.
Degree tracks include the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Studio; BFA with Emphasis in Art Education or Writing; BA degrees in Art History and in Visual and Critical Studies; Master of Architecture; Master of Design (MDes) in Designed Objects; MDes in Fashion, Body, and Garment; MFA in Studio or Writing; MA degrees in Arts Administration; Art Education; Modern and Contemporary Art History; Art Therapy; New Arts Journalism; Teaching; Visual and Critical Studies; and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation.
EOE
The Art Institute of Chicago, including both the school and the museum, is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for its students, visitors, faculty, and staff, and to ensuring that educational and employment decisions are based on an individual’s abilities and qualifications. The Art Institute of Chicago does not tolerate unlawful discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or former military status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law, in its programs and activities, public accommodations or employment practices. The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:
Title IX Coordinator
Michael Nicolai, Vice President for Human Resources, Human Resources Department, 116 S. Michigan Ave., suite 1200 Chicago, IL 60603, 312.629.9411, mnicolai@saic.edu
Section 504 Coordinator
Felice Dublon, PhD, Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs, The Office of Student Affairs, 36 S. Wabash Ave., suite 1204, Chicago, IL 60603, 312.629.6800, fdublon@saic.edu.
For further information on notice of nondiscrimination, see the Office for Civil Rights Discrimination Complaint Form for the address and phone number of the office that serves your area, or call 800.421.3481.
Black Activism & Photography from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement (Sept. 17, 2016, BAMPFA, Berkeley, CA)
Photo of Makeda D. Best, Ph.D.(www.bampfa.org)
When Sojourner Truth declared that she sold the “shadow” (photographic portraits of herself) to support the “substance” (the causes of abolition and the rights of women), she recognized the power of images to shape opinion and create economic value. How did the former slave strategically deploy and circulate photography as a form of political activism? Join a conversation with UC Berkeley professors Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby (History of Art) and Leigh Raiford (African American Studies) and photographer/photography historian Makeda Best of the California College of the Arts on the uses to which photography has been put in the African American struggle for political change.
Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby is the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor in the Arts and Humanities at UC Berkeley. Grigsby specializes in eighteenth- through early twentieth-century French and American art and visual and material culture, particularly in relation to the politics of race, slavery, and colonialism. She is the author of three books: Extremities: Painting Empire in Post-Revolutionary France (2002); Colossal: Engineering the Suez Canal, Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower and Panama Canal(2012); and Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance(2015).
Leigh Raiford is associate professor of African American Studies at UC Berkeley. She is the author of Imprisoned in a Luminous Glare: Photography and the African American Freedom Struggle (2011).
Makeda Best, assistant professor in Visual Studies at the California College of the Arts, is an historian of photography. She is currently revising a book on the Civil War–era photographer Alexander Gardner, and coediting a volume titled Conflict, Identity and Protest in American Art.
See: BAMPFA Roundtable Discussion
All Power to the People: Black Panthers @50: Exhibition, Anniversary Commemoration, and Symposium (Fall 2016) at the Oakland Museum of California
The Panthers, in more ways than one, sought to visualize racial identity. Their model continues to inform new movements across the globe.
Revolutionary Art (circa 1969) by Emory Douglas, Black Panther Minister of Culture, Oakland, CA.
.
Paid Archaeology Internship for College Grads in San Francisco’s Presidio
If you’re a college grad with an archaeology or anthropology background, you might be interested in an 11-month internship that includes free housing, a modest stipend and a transportation benefit. You’d be helping to excavate the Spanish colonial site at the heart of San Francisco’s scenic Presidio.
See internships at the Presidio
Application deadline for Spring 2017 internship is November 1, 2016.
Call for Emerging Artists–Deadline Aug. 1, 2016
Tim Roseborough (and Cheryl Patrice Derricotte) were the 2015 Emerging Artists at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), San Francisco.
For more information on the 2016 Emerging Artist Program at MoAD, click below:
The Emerging Artists program at the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco
Cheryl Patrice Derricotte (and Tim Roseborough) were the 2015 Emerging Artists at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), San Francisco.
Click here to apply to the 2016 Museum of the African Diaspora Emerging Artist Program.
Summertime — Genealogy Time
Art historian and visual cultural studies scholar Judith Wilson has brought our attention to the exhibition of a black woman’s portrait at the Middlesex County Historical Society in Connecticut.
This unattributed pastel on paper image (circa 1904) depicts Anna M. Warmsley (circa 1870s/1880s-1944). Warmsley (née Steadman [sp?]) lived in Middletown, Conn.
Judith saw Carla Halloway’s Facebook posting about this portrait last week. Ms. Halloway of East Hartford, Connecticut wrote that the portrait had been “rescued from the trash” and given to the historical society.
Ms. Halloway’s post generated a lively FB discussion, including comments from a descendant of Anna Warmsley and her husband Herbert Elmer Warmsley (1878/1881-1954). The historical society also has a portrait of Herbert Warmsley.
In online public records (US Federal Census, etc.) and others on ancestry.com, the Warmsley’s family name sometimes appears as “Warmesley.” In early records, Anna is termed a “Negro” and Herbert, whose listed profession was a “galvanizer” in a foundry, a “mulatto.” Anna was a housekeeper for “a private family. She married Herbert when she was about 21. (No marriage certificate appears online. But the US Federal Census of 1910 states that they had been married for five years.)
Who might have painted the Warmsley couple around 1904? They were people of some means and were respected in their community. Did they commission their portraits? White or other non-black artists may have taken up this job. And what about the possibility that the portraits were done by one of the several East Coast artists of color whose names and works we know today?
John G. (Gwynne) Chaplin (1828-1907) worked in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and painted representational mythological and Biblical themes, and portraits. A man of mixed ethnicity–European-American and African-American–Chaplin traveled to Germany and had a studio in Dusseldorf before returning to the US to settle in Youngstown, Pennsylvania. (The actor Charlie Chaplin [1889-1977] was once told that he was related to the artist Chaplin.)
Black Hartford native Nelson E. Primus (1842-1916) made his reputation as a portraitist. But he moved to San Francisco in 1895, so it seems unlikely that he painted the Warmsleys.
Charles Ethan Porter (1847-1923) was a black artist from Hartford. Porter’s still lifes and realist landscapes were admired in the late 19th and early 20th century, and they’re sought after now by collectors of African-American artists’ production. His brushy style seems quite different from the linear approach of the Warmsley portrait. Sounds like a good time to return to the monograph exhibition catalogues on Porter by Helen Krieble et al. (1987) and the New Britain Museum of American Art (2008).
Annie E.A. Walker (1855-1929) was born in Brooklyn, and appears to have spent her younger years in Alabama and in Dallas, Texas. She studied at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC, and graduated from the Cooper Union School for the Advancement of Science and Art in 1895. (See this account of her Cooper Union years.) Afterward, she traveled to France and studied at the Academie Julian in Paris for several years. Her best known work is the Salon-exhibited pastel on paper called La Parisienne (Howard University Art Gallery). She returned the US in the first decade of the 20th century and worked in Washington, DC. Her career and activities were researched by James V. Herring (1942), James A. Porter (1967), Lowery Sims (1978), Andrew Cosentino and Henry H. Glassie (1983), Tritobia Hayes Benjamin (1993), and others. Yet Walker is an artist about whom we don’t know enough. Works are attributed to her here and there, including in some files I haven’t looked at in years. Time to blow the dust off those. More to come…
ACRAH 