Black Art, Identity, & Expression

Talk Description:
Join us as Berrisford discusses Black Art, Expression, and Identity arising from his recently published, co-edited book, ‘Shifting Time.’ 

We will explore trends of how Black art/artists have engaged in Black visual expression in general and specifically during the COVID lockdown. 

In the struggle for African American self-determinacy, cultural theorists and artists tended to align Black art with the politics of Black Power. But what constitutes “legitimate” Black art and Black visual expression has been an ongoing, open debate.

Black art, in the view of Black Power supporters, cares less for the "art for art's sake theory" in favor of Black culture’s need for art that advancing sociopolitical influence in the ongoing defining of African American identity. As such, Black art has a duty to the upliftment and distinction of the Black community. 

Boothe, a one-time figurative socio-political painter, has situated himself in the visual domain of abstraction. He will use this presentation/discussion to investigate and promote many forms of contemporary Black visual expression seen in ‘Shifting Time’ as necessary facets of cultural and socio-political Black Identity & Black Expression. Join us.

“Black Art Matters.”
-Willie Cole



Speaker Bio:
Berrisford Boothe is a Lafayette grad, ’83 and a Walters Travelling Award recipient M.F.A. graduate of the Mount Royal School of Art, M.I.C.A. A former Professor of Art and Africana Studies at Lehigh University, he was also Interim Chair of the Department of Art Architecture and Design, and one of three professors responsible for conceiving, building, and implementing Lehigh’s award-winning I.P.D. (Integrated Product Design) program and its offshoot graduate Technical Entrepreneur (T.E.) program. He is a visual artist with a 30+-year practicing artist and has produced 17 Solo exhibitions and participated in over 70 career group shows across the U.S. He has also exhibited his artwork in
the U.K., South America, and Japan. His art has been placed in numerous public collections including Lafayette College’s Permanent Collection, The Philadelphia Convention Center Collection, The Fitzwilliam Museum Collection, Universidad de Costa Rica, The Kasser Foundation Collection, The Allentown Art Museum and The cUrniversity City Science Center, among others. Boothe’s works are
also housed in significant Private Collections.

Recently, Boothe has taken on writing about Contemporary African American Artists and exhibitions.Most recently he has penned essays for Ct./NYC painter Mequitta Ahuja and Atlanta photographer/artist, Tokie Rome-Taylor. He has written extensive essays for 2022 Venice Biennale artist, Arvie Smith including one for his book, ‘2 Up And 2 Back.’ He has also been contracted to contribute summary text for Christie’s Auction House on the artwork of international artist, Amaoko Boafo for their Hong Kong Auction catalog. Boothe was the featured Interviewer North Carolina artist, Juan Logan in the Summer 2022 Issue of BOMB Magazine. An art Collector and Curator, from 2012 – 2020, he was the Founding and Principal Curator for The Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African American Art, acquiring over 430 works of African American art in eight years. During his tenure, he curated nine museum exhibitions including the Portland Art Museum’s major 2017 exhibition, ‘Constructing Identity,’ ‘Essential Presence’ at the Allentown Art Museum, ‘As We See It’ at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and assisted in producing and contributing to the exhibition catalog for the seminal 2019-20 Wadsworth Atheneum exhibition, ‘Afrocosmologies: American Visions’ in Hartford, Ct. Boothe co-conceived of, and is the Co-Editor with Klare Scarborough of the newly published book, ‘Shifting Time: African American Artists 2021-2022.

He resides in Easton, PA where he continues his studio practice at the Karl Stirner Arts Building.

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Co-hosted with: Office of Intercultural Development

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