The Taft Museum of Art has announced their newest exhibit for the fall season, Posing Beauty in African American Culture, a multimedia project that explores the history of African American beauty and visual culture.
This exhibition is in collaboration with FotoFocus Biennial and Curatorial Assistance Traveling Exhibitions, and curated by Deborah Willis, PhD, a leading historian on African American photography.
The exhibit aims to show the differences in photographs and portraits of Black Americans who present the public face of African American beauty, versus commercial photography that shows the impacts of advertorial beauty standards, alongside present day work of contemporary photographers.
Within the exhibit, over 100 photographs by a wide range of photographers are featured with documentary, commercial and fine art photography to inspire consideration of existing beauty notions on race, class and gender within art.
Alongside the exhibit, Posing Beauty: Perspectives — the written responses and thoughts on the works featured by individuals working in diverse fields — will be featured to encourage conversation.
“We are deeply grateful to these individuals for being willing to share their ideas, emotions, and creativity,” Tamera Lenz Muente, curator at the Taft Museum of Art, said in a press release. “Their thoughtful and moving contributions are certain to enhance visitors' experiences of the exhibition”.
The exhibition will run from Oct. 5 through Jan. 12, and is free to Taft members, active military members, youth and FotoFocus Passport holders. More info: taftmuseum.org.
