Local Arts

What’s up this week in Charlotte’s visual arts?

Stacy Lynn Waddell’s “Untitled (Mike Brown’s battle at Normandy),” in the Bechtler’s “Wrestling the Angel.” Her work is also still on view in “BLACK BLOODED” at the New Gallery of Modern Art.
Stacy Lynn Waddell’s “Untitled (Mike Brown’s battle at Normandy),” in the Bechtler’s “Wrestling the Angel.” Her work is also still on view in “BLACK BLOODED” at the New Gallery of Modern Art. Courtesy of the Bechtler

Where to go

Enjoy a conversation between Jen Edwards, curator at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, and Durham-based artist Stacy Lynn Waddell, 6-7:30 p.m. Aug. 23. The event is part of the programming of the New Gallery of Modern Art, in conjunction with its current exhibition, “BLACK BLOODED,” but Waddell also has impressive work on view right now in Edwards’ ambitious curatorial project, “Wrestling the Angel,” at the Bechtler. Waddell and Edwards are both smart, talented and direct, so we’re looking forward to what is sure to be an engaging conversation.

What to do

“Question Bridge: Black Males” at the Gantt: From left: Jesse Williams, Nelson George, Chandler Parker, Ambassador Andrews Young, Robert Horton, Delroy Lindo.
“Question Bridge: Black Males” at the Gantt: From left: Jesse Williams, Nelson George, Chandler Parker, Ambassador Andrews Young, Robert Horton, Delroy Lindo. ©Chris Johnson; permanent collection of the Gantt Center

The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture brings back a project it presented in 2013, “Question Bridge: Black Males.” While it might be a tad soon to present an identical project, the Gantt is trying to tell us that if you haven’t seen the project yet, you need to. And it may be right, especially in this critical moment. Created by Chris Johnson, Hank Willis Thomas, Bayeté Ross Smith and Kamal Sinclair, the multi-channel video installation asks what it means to be “black” and “male” in America. The work will be up for a full year, so there will be plenty of opportunities to spend some time with it.

Who to meet

Nick Napoletano’s “Fraternal Codependence,” at Elder.
Nick Napoletano’s “Fraternal Codependence,” at Elder. Courtesy of the artist

Learn more about four local participants in the ArtPop program – Janie Ball, Barbara Ellis, Nick Napoletano and Caroline Rust – at an exhibition hosted by Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art. The ArtPop program aims to create a “street art gallery” by transforming artists’ works into large-scale billboards that you have surely enjoyed while driving along roads and highways around the city. Meet the artists at the Aug. 23 reception or, if you’re lucky, you might be able to squeeze into the currently overbooked lunch and panel discussion the next day from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join the waitlist by emailing ashley@eldergalleryclt.com.

Each week, Grace Cote and Lia Newman offer Observer readers a to-do list on immersing yourself in visual arts around town. Newman is director/curator of the Van Every/Smith Galleries at Davidson College, Cote is senior coordinator at Jerald Melberg Gallery, and they collaborate on the blog HappeningsCLT (happeningsCLT.com).

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