Opening Art Reception

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Image Credit: The (Bronze) Wax Monuments Series, 2022, various dimensions

Image Credit: The (Bronze) Wax Monuments Series, 2022, various dimensions

Johnny Floyd - Child Be Free

Smoyer Gallery

September 13 - December 8, 2024

Opening Reception September 13, 6-8pm

Johnny Floyd’s “Child Be Free” invites viewers to reflect on time and identity through innovative artistic methods. Inspired by discussions with his theoretical physicist grandfather, Floyd engages with recursion theory to explore concepts of purpose and self. His mixed-media works combine archival imagery and African-American vernacular photography from the Maurice Berger Memorial Archive, weaving themes of ancestry and temporal constructs. By examining the Black experience in the U.S. as a lens for understanding time, Floyd’s art challenges viewers to reconsider their own temporal identities and the structures that shape them.

Sandy Williams IV - Freedom is Not a Metaphor

Olin Gallery

September 13 - December 8, 2024

Opening Reception September 13, 6-8pm

Sandy Williams IV’s exhibition, “Freedom is Not a Metaphor,” features an array of photography, sculptures, and installations that delve into the dynamics of memory and historical context. Through personal and public narratives, Williams challenges traditional perspectives on memory and agency. His works, such as the Time Ruler series, encourage dialogue about public spaces and historical injustices, aiming to foster reconciliation and collective healing. The exhibition highlights the ongoing struggle for justice and liberation, urging viewers to engage with and reshape our collective understanding of history and identity.

Both exhibitions are presented in collaboration with the Center for Studying Structures of Race, with funding provided by the Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo Center for Art at Roanoke College.