If you give the mic to black women, then sit down, shut up, and listen, the world will be made better.
I went to the Black Curator and Art Administrator Panel at Portland Art Museum, an event held in association with the brand-new Black Artists of Oregon exhibition. Over 90 minutes, exhibit curator Intisar Abioto, artist/curators Elisheba Johnson of Seattle’s Wa Na Wari, Maya Vivas and Roux Haile of Portland’s Ori Gallery, and Tai Carpenter of Black Gallery PDX dropped so much knowledge they had my head spinning.
They talked about curation and arts administration. They dug into community history, Black family dynamics, generational healing, land banking, indigenous sovereignty, Black joy, and the challenge of rest. All the things. Literally ALL THE THINGS!
It was powerful, uplifting, soul-shaking, and enlightening. Here are a few things I had the presence of mind to write down:
On liberation
We [BIPOC] need to use land as an axis against white supremacy.
Whiteness requires that we [BIPOC] assimilate to them.
Indigenous sovereignty [is tied to] Black liberation.
Land back includes Black people!
Black art is about insisting on our care.
We [Black people] deserve abundance.
We [Black People] need to be here [white institutions]. We need to bring the flavor of how we use space to these institutions.
As a Black person, the most revolutionary thing you can do is f**king rest.
On curation
As a gallerist, I am deconstructing the “white” cube.
The goal [of the gallery] is to facilitate a space for growth.
We [Wa Na Wari] are working on setting up a land trust and land banking.
[In creating this gallery] We’re not doing anything new. This [providing community access to cultural spaces] is what Black people in community have always done.
[Sustainable thriving] is about building a cultural hub, a community resource.
What would you say to your younger self?
Trust the erotic. Follow what feels good. [based on writing by Audre Lorde]
Trust yourself.
Don’t listen to them.
“No” is a complete sentence.
On Black women
When you support a Black woman, you are supporting like, 40 people!
If you are in Portland, do not miss this exhibition, running until March 17, 2024.