CHARLESTON, S.C., June 14, 2019 – The Gibbes Museum of Art is pleased to announce that renowned artist Fred Wilson will be the keynote speaker at the museum’s annual Distinguished Lecture Series, taking place at Charleston Music Hall on Wednesday, November 13.
“The Gibbes does not tell Charleston’s story from a singular point-of-view, but rather through a series of artistic lenses and diverse perspectives,” says Angela Mack, executive director of the Gibbes Museum of Art. “We are thrilled to be hosting Fred Wilson for this lecture as someone who challenges assumptions of history, culture, race and conventions of display with his work. We are honored to be introducing Wilson to Charleston ahead of his exhibition that will be on display at the Gibbes next year.”
Since his groundbreaking and historically significant exhibition Mining the Museum (1992) at the Maryland Historical Society, Wilson continues to use cultural products to address issues of racism and erasure as the subject of many solo exhibitions. The artist’s most recent body of work, an exhibition entitled Afro Kismet, was originally produced for the Istanbul Biennial in the Fall of 2017 and subsequently shown in New York and Los Angeles. Afro Kismet will open at the Gibbes Museum of Art in the Spring of 2020.
Wilson’s many accolades include the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s “Genius” Grant (1999); the Skowhegan Medal for Sculpture (2006); the Alain Locke Award from The Friends of African and African American Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts (2013); a Lifetime Achievement Award, Howard University, Washington, D.C. (2017); the Ford Foundation’s, The Art of Change Award (2017-18); and an honor by The Black Alumni of Pratt Institute during their 2017 Celebration of the Creative Spirit. Wilson was recently named the 2019 recipient of Brandeis University’s Creative Arts Award and is a trustee of the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Event Details:
• Wednesday, November 13, 2019
• Doors: 5:30 PM / Show: 6:30 PM
• Charleston Music Hall, 37 John Street, Charleston, S.C. 29403
• $60 – Tier 1 ($50 for Members) | $40 – Tier 2 | $15 – Student/Faculty
Event sponsors included former Gibbes board member and philanthropist Esther Ferguson, Bank of America, Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust, Lynch Cracraft Wealth Management of Raymond James and the City of Charleston.
Tickets will be for sale beginning June 21, 2019. Members will have access to a presale on June 17, 2019. For information on becoming a member, visit www.gibbesmuseum.org. To purchase tickets, visit Charleston Music Hall’s website at www.charlestonmusichall.com or call the box office Monday-Thursday from 12pm-6pm or Friday from 10am-6pm at 843-853-2252.
About the Distinguished Lecture Series
Founded with the generous support of former Gibbes Board member and philanthropist Esther Ferguson, the Distinguished Lecture Series brings engaging, world-renowned artists, art collectors, museum leaders, philanthropists, and art historians to Charleston to stimulate public discussion about creativity and the visual arts. Previous speakers have included environmental artist Christo, Leonard A. Lauder, cosmetics tycoon and philanthropists, architects Billie Tsien and Tod Williams, Philippe de Montebello, director-emeritus of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, legendary contemporary American artist Jeff Koons, Pablo Picasso’s grandson Olivier Picasso and artist-architect and environmentalist Maya Lin.
About the Gibbes Museum of Art
Home to the Carolina Art Association, established in 1858, the Gibbes Museum of Art is recognized among the oldest arts organizations in the United States. Housing one of the foremost collections of American Art from the 18th century to the present, the museum’s mission is to enhance lives through art by engaging people of every background and experience with art and artists of enduring quality and by providing opportunities to learn, to discover, to enjoy and to be inspired by the creative process. For more information, visit www.gibbesmuseum.org.
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