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An illustration of a man wearing a suit on dark wood. Several small American flags sit in front, including one large one draped on the floor.

Whitfield Lovell (American, b. Bronx, NY), America, 2000, Charcoal on wood, 89 x 53 1/2 x 20 in., Courtesy of American Federation of Arts, the artist, and DC Moore Gallery, New York

An illustration of a woman in a large dress on a large circle made from wood. Several 3D crows sit on branches sticking out from the wood, arranged around the woman.

Whitfield Lovell (American, b. Bronx, NY), Because I Wanna Fly, 2021, Conté on wood with attached found objects, Diam: 114 in., Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

A person stands in a room filled with wooden circles and a projection of moving water. The wooden circles have monochromatic portraits of people on them.

Whitfield Lovell (American, b. Bronx, NY), Deep River, 2013, Fifty-six wooden discs, found objects, soil, video projections, sound, Dimensions variable, Courtesy of American Federation of Arts, the artist, and DC Moore Gallery, New York

A head with closed eyes rests on a large pile of flowers with a dark purple background.

Whitfield Lovell (American, b. Bronx, NY), Head with Flowers, 1992, Oil stick and charcoal on paper, 85 1/2 x 50 in., Courtesy of American Federation of Arts, the artist, and DC Moore Gallery, New York

An illustration of a man with a serious expression on his face wearing a large hat. A string of small American flags are attached below the illustration.

Whitfield Lovell (American, b. Bronx, NY), Kin I (Our Folks), 2008, Conté on paper, found paper flags, string, 30 x 22 1/2 in., Collection of Reginald and Aliya Browne, Courtesy of American Federation of Arts, the artist, and DC Moore Gallery, New York

A monochromatic illustration of a woman on a red background with a dark frame. A small 3D jar floats near the bottom edge.

Whitfield Lovell (American, b. Bronx, NY), The Red I, 2021, Conté on paper with attached found object 45 3/4 x 34 x 5 7/8 in., Courtesy American Federation of Arts, the artist, and DC Moore Gallery, New York

An illustration of a person wearing a hat and coat in a wood-paneled room with a piano, lamp, and dining table.

Whitfield Lovell (American, b. Bronx, NY), Visitation: The Richmond Project, 2001, Parlor, Dining table, organ, various objects, wooden walls 223 1/4 x 161 3/4 in., Courtesy of American Federation of Arts, the artist, and DC Moore Gallery, New York

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Whitfield Lovell: Passages

March 1–May 26, 2024

Western & Southern Galleries (Galleries 232 and 233)
Ticketed. Free for Members.
Adult tickets: $12 in-person, $10 online
Seniors, college students and children 6–17 years: $8 in person, $6 online
Children 5 years & under: free
Friends of American Painting, Sculpture, and Drawings
Press Release

Purchase Tickets

See the exhibition for free on Thursday nights from 5–8 p.m.; Tuesdays throughout April; and during Art After Dark on April 26 from 5–9 p.m.

 

Whitfield Lovell: Passages urges viewers to contemplate the ordinary lives and extraordinary journeys of the African American experience, while raising universal questions about identity, memory, and America’s collective heritage. More than 80 evocative multisensory installations, conté crayon drawings, and assemblages comprise this most comprehensive exhibition of the artist’s work to date.

Born in the Bronx, Lovell, a 2007 MacArthur Fellowship recipient, creates exquisite drawings, finding inspiration in photographs of unidentified African Americans taken between the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil Rights Movement. He creates assemblages by pairing his drawings—on paper or salvaged wood boards—with found objects, many weathered by the passage of time. Some of Lovell’s assemblages appear in his larger installations, while others he presents as symbolic and enigmatic stand-alone tableaux. Works from his acclaimed Kin series evolve into his more recent productions, The Reds and Card Pieces.

Two of Lovell’s experiential installations, Deep River and Visitation: The Richmond Project, are brought together here for the first time. The monumental Deep River (2013) combines video projections, sound, drawings, and everyday objects. Documenting the perilous journey freedom seekers took by crossing the Tennessee River during the Civil War, Deep River addresses the struggle for freedom and its inherent themes of abandonment, death, life, and hope. At the same time, it invites viewers to consider the larger human quest for equality and the pursuit of a better life—matters that transcend time and geography. Visitation: The Richmond Project (2001) is a profound homage to the country’s first major Black entrepreneurial community. In this emotive installation, the artist pays tributes to the lives, names, and faces of the people of Jackson Ward in Richmond, Viriginia. Lovell explains, “the installations are about memory and heritage, and the markings that the past has made—and continues to make—on who we are.”

 

An illustration of a man wearing a suit on dark wood. Several small American flags sit in front, including one large one draped on the floor. Survey

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Audio Exhibition

Hear verbal descriptions of highlighted artworks and interpretive content for the exhibition, wherever you are.

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Events

Members Opening — Whitfield Lovell: Passages

Thursday, February 29, 5–7 p.m.

Artist Talk - Whitfield Lovell: Passages

Thursday, February 29, 7–8 p.m.

 

Gallery Talk Plus - Whitfield Lovell: Passages

Saturday, April 13, 1–3 p.m.

 

Create Plus – Whitfield Lovell: Passages

Saturday, May 11, 1–4 p.m.

Whitfield Lovell: Passages is organized by the American Federation of Arts in collaboration with Whitfield Lovell. Major support for the national tour and exhibition catalogue are provided by National Endowment for the Arts and the Terra Foundation for American Art.

 

National Endowment for the Arts Terra Foundation for American Art

 

In Cincinnati, this exhibition was financially assisted by The Patricia Kisker Foundation.