Hooks Institute partners with Metal Museum to discuss Exploring African American Jewelry: Art, Adornment and Manifestations of African American Cultural Identity
Sept. 8, 2021 — The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis and the Metal Museum will partner to highlight the work and lives of African American jewelers on the Hooks Institute's Facebook page (facebook.com/benhooksinstitute) Tues., Sept. 14, at 6 p.m. This event is the second in the Hooks Institute series, “Exploring the African American Experience Through Art.”
At the event, Hooks Institute executive director Daphene McFerren will moderate a discussion with Memphis Metal Museum staff on two recent exhibitions — "Divine Legacies in Black Jewelry," curated by LaMar R. Gayles Jr., and "Tributaries: Tiff Massey | Everyday Arsenal." Metal Museum staff will highlight some of their favorite pieces in the exhibitions and discuss how they included local artists in the exhibition design.
Attendees are encouraged to RSVP by clicking here.
About "Divine Legacies in Black Jewelry"
"Divine Legacies in Black Jewelry" explores the pluralistic histories of jewelry creation and production in the African Diaspora of the Americas. This exhibition centers the works and lives of more than 25 jewelry artists to present the first survey of the history of African diasporic jewelry of its kind.
About Tiff Massey and "Everyday Arsenal"
Inspired by African standards of economic vitality, Tiff Massey's work includes both large-scale and wearable sculptures, music and performance. She uses contemporary observances of class and race through the lens of an African diaspora combined with inspiration drawn from her experiences in Detroit. Massey's "Everyday Arsenal" installation is on view at the Metal Museum through Sept. 26.
About the panelists
Brooke Garcia (she/her) is the collections & exhibitions manager at the Metal Museum. She is an alumna of the University of Memphis, where she completed an MA in art history and a graduate certificate in museum studies. Brooke serves as the Memphis Emerging Museum Professionals Group co-chair and the student outreach chair on the Tennessee Association of Museums' Board of Directors.
Portia White (she/her) is the community outreach and rentals coordinator for the Metal Museum. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in English literature from Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., in 2011.
Tomisha Edwards (she/her) is the guest services coordinator for the Metal Museum. She attended Bates College, where she majored in dance. She believes that art, no matter what discipline, is the world's universal language, and through this language, we can see the world outside ourselves.
Dorothy Svgdik (she/her) is the exhibitions coordinator at the Metal Museum. She graduated with her MA in museology (museum studies) from the University of Washington, specializing in museum evaluation. Dorothy serves as a peer reviewer for "Theory and Practice: The Emerging Museum Professionals Journal."
About Daphene McFerren, event moderator
Daphene R. McFerren, the executive director of the Hooks Institute, has built alliances with local and national institutions, businesses and community organizations to advance the Hooks Institute's mission of eradicating racial, social, economic and other disparities in Memphis and beyond.
About the Metal Museum
The Metal Museum is the only institution in the United States devoted exclusively to preserving, promoting and advancing the art and craft of fine metalwork. This mission is achieved through four primary program areas – exhibitions, collections, studio practice, and community education and engagement. Learn more about the Museum and its programs by visiting our website at metalmuseum.org.
About the Hooks Institute
The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute implements its mission of teaching, studying and promoting civil rights and social change through research, education and direct intervention programs. Institute programs include community outreach; funding faculty research initiatives on community issues; implementing community service projects; hosting conferences, symposiums and lectures; and promoting local and national scholarship on civil and human rights. For more information, visit memphis.edu/benhooks.