Title
A resolution thanking the Philadelphia Museum of Art for presenting The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure, an impactful exhibit that honors and celebrates the rich contributions of the Black and African diasporic experience.
Body
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the country's oldest art museums and has long been recognized as one of its finest; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Museum of Art has long served as a platform for showcasing diverse cultures and fostering an inclusive background; and
WHEREAS, The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure, features 28 Black and African diasporic contemporary artists who use figurative painting, drawing, and sculpture to illuminate and celebrate the nuance and richness of Black contemporary life; and
WHEREAS, Ekow Eshun, the trailblazing British writer, journalist, broadcaster, and curator, handpicked art pieces for this exhibit, the title of which derives from an essay on desegregation by renowned author and social rights activist James Baldwin. The exhibition emphasizes the urgency of contemporary artistic expression, serving as a reminder that Black artists exist within an always-evolving artistic lineage; and
WHEREAS, This exhibit delves into themes of Double Consciousness, Past and Presence, and Our Aliveness, all reflecting various facets of the Black experience; and
WHEREAS, Double Consciousness, a theory introduced in 1897 by W.E.B. Du Bois, explores concepts of being, belonging, and Blackness as a psychological state. The works in the exhibit explore how artists perceive themselves and how they are perceived and framed by others, navigating the complexities of real and imagined identities; and
WHEREAS, Past and Presence addresses the absence of Black figures in many mainstream narratives and highlights how artists have responded to this erasure; and
WHEREAS, Our Aliveness features assertions and celebrations of Black assembly and gathering, including...
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