The Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition is on display through Feb. 24, 2019, at the Museum of Science and Industry. The exhibition showcases over 100 amateur and professional works of art.
The Juried Art Exhibition has been held at the Museum of Science and Industry on the South Side of Chicago since 1970.
Every year, Black artists are invited to submit their work. The artwork is juried by a panel of five judges who select what will be shown. Once the installation is up, the judges select first, second and third prize winners in both general and youth categories. The winner of the first-place prize in the general category wins $3K.
Rolling out spoke with one of the featured artists, James Richardson, about the significance of the piece he was sharing.
“The name of my piece is ‘What’s Going On Out There.’ My piece is about police presence in Black communities and it’s also about media coverage in Black communities and how that paints a negative stereotypical picture of our community. It’s a stereotype that all of us have to live with. I want my piece to communicate the anxiety that Black people feel. I didn’t want to represent anything violent or anything super extreme. I really wanted to show how these colors are weighing on the individual,” said Richardson.
The exhibit organizer, Tiffany Malone, shared why the Juried Art Exhibition is still relevant after 48 years of existence and why it’s important that it continues.
“The Juried Art Exhibition is still relevant because of its connection to the community. This art exhibit began at the height of the Chicago Black Arts Movement by some of the city’s most innovative artists at the time. The museum saw the importance of showcasing and supporting this arts community and has hosted this important event annually.
“It’s important that this program continues because in recent years, we’ve added a youth component to the art exhibition. This allows the museum to help cultivate emerging, young Black artists by providing a platform to showcase their creativity to the masses,” said Malone.
Take a look at a few of the pieces below.
This exhibition is included in the museum entry fee.
