Keeping It Reel: Celebrating Black History Month
Keeping It Reel: Celebrating Black History Month
February is Black History Month, and Casa is pleased to be presenting two documentaries featuring several of the most
prominent black contemporary artists working today.
BLACK ART: IN THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT
DIRECTED BY SAMUEL D. POLLARD,
USA, 2021, 86 MINS View Trailer
Firmly rooted in the history of the Black American experience, this film is directed and produced by award-winning documentarian Sam Pollard. It is a vital and illuminating introduction to the work of some of the foremost African American visual artists working today, including Theaster Gates, Kerry James Marshall, Faith Ringgold, Amy Sherald and Carrie Mae Weems, the film is a testament to the indelible contributions of Black American artists in today’s contemporary art world. At the heart of this feature documentary is the groundbreaking exhibition, entitled “Two Centuries of Black American Art,” curated by the late African American artist and scholar David Driskell in 1976.
JULIE MEHRETU: PALIMPSEST
DIRECTED BY SUSAN WALD & EDGAR HOWARD,
USA, 2021, 55 MINS View Trailer
Julie Mehretu has been an internationally acclaimed artist for the past two decades. Her work is featured in museums around the world, and among her many awards and honors she is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” (2005) and a U.S. State Department National Medal of Arts (2015).
This one-hour film on Julie documents her mid-career retrospective, co-organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Nov. 2019-Sept. 2020) and the Whitney Museum of American Art (Mar.-Aug. 2021).
The film traces the artist’s preparations for the retrospective, leading up to the installation and realization of the survey at LACMA, which includes 36 paintings and 41 works on paper, representing over two decades of art, from her graduate work at RISD (1996-7) to her current large multi-layered canvases. Mehretu offers extensive commentary on her work, her process, and the chronology of her career. Also interviewed are a number of art world friends and associates.
Keeping It Reel Film Nights are the the second Wednesday of the Month at 7pm
Upcoming Film Nights:
Women’s Stories – March 8
It Came From Canada – April 12
Inside/Out – May 10
Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Month – June 14
Cultivating Community – September 13
Telling Tales – October 11
Movember Movies – November 8
Quiet Contemplation – December 13
To find out more about exciting exhibitions, community programming and events, please visit the Casa website: https://casalethbridge.ca
The Gallery at Casa is always FREE to visit.
The Gallery at Casa is managed by the Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge (AAC). The Community Gallery Program has been part of the AAC’s core mandate for over 60 years. To support free community programming like The Gallery at Casa, please visit https://bit.ly/AACDonate
Date:February 8th, 2023
Time:7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Fee:Admission by Donation
Location:Casa - Community Room
Casa Program Guide
The Casa Program Guide is produced three times a year; Winter, Spring/Summer and Fall. Inside the guide find listings for the upcoming class and workshop schedule, upcoming exhibitions at The Gallery, information about artists in residence and seasonal events in the building. Program guides are free. Pick-up guides at Casa or at facilities throughout the city.