Opening Celebration for Black on Black on Black on Black

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Interlocked capital B letters that overlap in four different directions. Color fields within the letterform mix in the spaces where they overlap, like a venn diagram.
Black on Black on Black on Black, 2022. Logo design by Stacey Robinson.

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Black and white image of a man and woman doing the bump, a dance from the late 1970s US popularized on Soul Train. Both dancers have natural afro hairstyles
Patrick Earl Hammie, D8.40.53 BUMP 1, 2021. Artist's giclee print. Courtesy of the artist and 33 Contemporary
Reception
Sep 24, 2022 - 12 noon to 6 pm
Link Gallery and Patio, West Gallery, Light Court, Contemporary Gallery
Co-sponsored and supported by by the School of Art & Design, College of Fine & Applied Arts, Bruce Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, and Pygmalion. Sponsored in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Join us to open Black on Black on Black on Black, a collaborative exhibition by faculty artists Patrick Earl Hammie, Stacey Robinson, Blair Ebony Smith, and Nekita Thomas.

Black on Black on Black on Black will open to the public with a day of events celebrating Black creativity through writing, music, and art.

Starting at noon | Krannert Art Museum, the School of Art & Design, and the Pygmalion Festival, including food by The Stuft Bird food truck and activities for all ages.

12:30 pm | Live, outdoor jazz performance by Reginald Chapman and Pressure fit.

1:30 pm | Outdoor reading by Nabil Ayers, author of My Life in the Sunshine: Searching for my Father and Discovering my Family, sponsored by Pygmalion Festival.

3 pm | Join us for an Artists Panel Discussion with Patrick Earl Hammie, Stacey Robinson, Blair Ebony Smith, and Nekita Thomas. Moderated by Rachel Lauren Storm, Assistant Director of Community Engagement and Learning.

4 to 6 pm | Public reception catered by Neil Street Blues with music by DJ CK and DJ Silkee in the Link Gallery, sponsored by the School of Art & Design and College of Fine and Applied Arts.

About the Exhibition

Black on Black on Black on Black is an exhibition with interactive programming, co-created by the Black faculty at the School of Art & Design, that draws from lived experiences and Black speculation, featuring works across visual art and design, socially engaged practice, video, movement, and music. This exhibition and programming invites us to experience, explore, and reflect on Black identity, history, collectivity, healing, innovation, education, struggle, and joy.