Congratulations to our BAILA sister, Jane Castillo, for her new installation at CAAM! It looks beautiful, Jane! I love this work of yours! When I saw your post, I looked on CAAMs website for mention of your name and work and for the title of the exhibit, so I could share the link. I found and yet find no mention of you or your work. Why would CAAM install your work in the museum, Jane, and not mention you on their website? Certainly I have seen names mentioned on CAAMs website of male artists whose works have been exhibited in that lobby space at CAAM in which your work currently hangs. For example, the names of all the artists in this years Diverted Destruction exhibit, which was on display in CAAMs lobby and at Loft At Lizs, all appear on CAAMs website. Of the 13 artists listed in that show, including our brother Derrick Maddox, only two were women (Teresa Tolliver and Rosalyn Myles -- our sisters who are both favored by frequent representation at CAAM). Thats more than six times as many men as women. Why is CAAM disregarding and not properly crediting sisters who exhibit at CAAM, like they did Toni Scott? Why is the museum not crediting you on their website, Jane? Is your case a matter that you were invited to exhibit last minute and they simply havent gotten around yet to mentioning you on their website? Im just guessing. Though its disturbing to see you, Jane, go unmentioned on CAAMs website, its at least refreshing to see a womans work on display at the museum. The four artists currently featured in solo exhibits at CAAM, are all men, including our brothers Mark Steven Greenfield, Yrneh Gabon and Eve Kemp. My preliminary research on CAAMs website reveals that the marginalization of Black women artists appears to be a trend at CAAM. At last months CAAM board meeting, I complained at the mic and in writing about the dearth of works by Black women artists being exhibited at CAAM. I wonder if your exhibit, Jane, was put together quickly in reaction to the observation I shared and my criticism of it at last months board meeting. Lisa C Soto, Kenturah Davis, these are the misogynistic trends at CAAM that have captivated my attention, as I mentioned to you both, after Edgar Arceneauxs talk last week. (Congrats Edgar on a powerful show and engaging talk). Teka-Lark Fleming, ditto on our private messaging about this. Either way, I thank Board President, Todd Hawkins, and Board Member, Joseph C. Phillips, for welcoming BAILAs involvement with CAAM. I appreciate our voices being newly heard and considered at CAAMs board meetings. CAAMs former Executive Director of the past 11 years, Charmaine Jefferson, and CAAMs Visual Arts Program Manager and Curator, Mar Hollingsworth, have attended several BAILA roundtables, including some at my home, from the very start, back in 2011. The many BAILA members present at those roundtables, including a roundtable with and at CAAM back in Spring 2012, can attest to the fact that never once did Charmaine or Mar, or any employee or board member of CAAM, ever mention to us that we, BAILA, were welcome at CAAM board meetings. We never knew we were welcome, because never once did anyone ever invite us. I am grateful for the opening of the floodgates of heaven, now. Thank you Joseph and Todd. Below is a video summary I made and posted of the first BAILA roundtable which occurred in my home back in 2011 and in which Charmaine was present and spoke at length. Those present at that first BAILA roundtable in 2011 at my house, along with Charmaine Jefferson, included Jane Castillo, Zeal Harris, Toni Scott, Edgar Arceneux, Samella Lewis, Charles Burnett, Cecil Fergerson, Miriam Fergerson, Wunpn Kinte Ferguson, Duane Paul, Sam Pace, Donna M. Angers, Judson Powell, Mark Broyard, Joshua Solomon, Stephen J Butler, Wendell Wiggins and my children. youtube/watch?v=XvqO1lsCgNo
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 08:33:00 +0000