BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) has been awarded a $3,000 grant from the Vermont Humanities Council to support a series of public programs on how the history and experiences of people of color are reflected in contemporary art.
The series will feature BIPOC artists and curators who use archival and historic materials to draw connections between the past and present.
“BMAC is committed to sharing the work, experiences, and expertise of BIPOC artists, curators, and arts professionals,” BMAC Director of Exhibitions Sarah Freeman said in a news release. “As the area's only contemporary art museum, we have an obligation to provide a platform for a wide range of artistic and curatorial perspectives.”
The series will build on the programming BMAC presented this past spring in connection with the exhibit “Jennifer Mack-Watkins: Children of the Sun.”
That exhibit featured prints by Mack-Watkins and a poem by fayemi shakur inspired in part by the life of Daisy Turner, a Vermont poet, storyteller, and activist whose parents had once been enslaved, and by “The Brownies' Book,” an early 20th century publication that featured stories, art, poetry, and positive images of African American identity.
“We are honored to have the Vermont Humanities Council's support for this series, and we look forward to sharing more illuminating conversations and presentations by BIPOC artists and curators,” said Kirsten Martsi, BMAC's Manager of Education & Community Engagement Programs.
The series will take place at BMAC during its 2021-22 season, with details to be announced in the coming months.