PIGMENT INTERNATIONAL PRESENTS AVING DEMOCRACY: Saving Democracy-An An Artistic Exploration
“There are some years that ask questions and some years that answer.” So said author and cultural anthropologist, Zora Neale Hurston. When we look back on the year 2020 it will be hard to tell which this year was. Already enduring a once in a century viral pandemic, the long-simmering cauldron of Black anger and resentment toward an America that has ignored our grievances came to a head in 2020 in response to the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Floyd was the match that lit the tinderbox of centuries of grievances too numerous to mention.
There was also an urgent political battle in this country that some would say pitted darkness against light. People of Color – Black, Latino, and Asian – voted in record numbers in an election that will go down in the history books as having the highest voter participation in our lifetime. According to Statistia nearly 70% (66.7) of registered voters participated in the election with rates soaring to 80% in some states. For her efforts Stacy Abrams of Georgia was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Artists have captured this time and place just as they always have, and when we look back on 2020 it will be their work that speaks to both the tragedy and triumph of the year. Pigment International proposes to create a multi-tiered look at the year 2020 entitled Saving Democracy – An Artistic Exploration, which includes an art and multi-media installation, virtual Salon Talks, a podcast, and the Pigment Magazine. This is a continuation of a discussion with artists rendered as an article in the Fall/Winter 2020 issue of Pigment Magazine. For the piece we surveyed artists about what they were creating and how they were feeling during the global racial reckoning of 2020.
Saving Democracy will show how Black artists utilized their medium to analyze and portray the historical relevance of our current situation, defined a new narrative, and spurred people to action. We will also examine the role social media played in allowing artists to disseminate their messages while connecting to and sharing those messages across a global network. Saving Democracy showcases how, through art, we saw the dawning of this the second decade of the century.
The centerpiece of the exhibition will be the unveiling of a bust of Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, by noted Chicago artist Gerald Griffin. Harris’ term as Vice President represents a series of firsts that include gender, race, education and is also fodder for artistic interpretation.
Griffin is a gallery owner, painter, sculptor, and poetic literate and an artist of expressive capabilities and a special sensitivity to his mediums. He is a visionary who produces some of the most provocative contemporary pieces of his or any generation.
We will also seek out educational partners for this project. Pigment has developed a relationship with Dr. Robert Hanserd at Columbia College Chicago, who is a professor in their African American Studies Department. We see his students as potential researchers for the project. Saving Democracy Elements:
Exhibition – Exhibition of works by African American artists to include the unveiling of a bronze bust of Kamala Harris by artist Gerald Griffin. Virtual or In-Person
Salon Talks – Pigment International’s signature Salon Talks will be held virtually with artists, curators, and other cultural historians discussing the mindset of artists in 2020, their artistic output, what they learned, and how they are moving forward. Virtual or in Person
Podcast – “Till Death We Do Art” -Conversations with artists and others in the Black art ecosystem.Pigment Magazine – Pigment Magazine Spring/Summer 21 will further the conversation started in the Fall/Winter issue on how artists are interpreting these drastic societal shifts related to race and culture.
About PigmentPigment International was founded out of reverence for Black Fine Art. We are Black art evangelists who use art journalism to tell the story of the Black art ecosystem. The platform has been built by founders who have had several successful careers over the last 35 years. Most importantly they have a proven track record of success in taking projects from ideation to implementation. It is said if you do something you love you will never work a day in your life. This is where we find ourselves and we look forward to taking on a new challenge in making this project a reality.
