Tuesday, June 4, 6 – 7pm
Mark Thomas Gibson. The Boys (detail), 2023. Courtesy of the artist
On-site, $10; members and students free
Online, $8; members and students free
About the Talk
Cohosted by the Miami Museum of Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora (Miami MoCAAD)—the country’s first virtual reality art museum—this program features Miami-born artist Mark Thomas Gibson in conversation with James Claiborne, deputy director for community engagement at the Barnes. Gibson, now based in Philadelphia, works across a range of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, and prints, to deliver incisive, witty, and visually compelling commentary on American culture. Join us as Gibson discusses his creative process as well as his experience participating in Miami MoCAAD’s This Life: Black Life in the Time of Now, an augmented and virtual reality exhibition exploring contemporary Black existence.
Mark Thomas Gibson. The Boys, 2023. Courtesy of the artist
Speakers
Mark Thomas Gibson
Gibson is an acclaimed visual artist whose work explores contemporary culture and reveals a distinct vision of a satirical, dystopian America. He received a BFA from the Cooper Union in 2002 and an MFA from Yale School of Art in 2013. Gibson’s recent solo exhibitions were at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. (2023) and the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (2023). His books include Some Monsters Loom Large (2016) and Early Retirement (2017). Gibson is an assistant professor of painting at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Photo by Ryan Collerd. Courtesy of the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
James Claiborne
As deputy director for community engagement at the Barnes, Claiborne works to build and strengthen relationships with arts and programming partners in the Philadelphia region and beyond. An experienced curator and educator, he is responsible for developing and leading a variety of public programs, family programs, and community engagement activities. In 2023, Claiborne co-curated the Barnes exhibition William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision and the installation Returning to Before, created by artist Brendan Fernandes in response to Edmondson’s work.
In Partnership with Miami MoCAAD
The Miami Museum of Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora discovers, commissions, collects, and preserves the work of the most advanced contemporary artists of the Global African Diaspora and its mother continent Africa. As a museum of the future, Miami MoCAAD embeds technology in exhibitions, programs, and practices, going beyond digital art offerings to explore ways technology can elevate experiences, educate, and reach audiences around the world.
Go Further
(re)FOCUS 2024 Panel: Women Who Run Galleries
Join us for a conversation with prominent women gallerists, organized with the festival (re)FOCUS 2024.
In Focus Gallery Talk: Christ Carrying the Cross
An in-depth discussion about the medieval painting with Penn PhD candidate Elliot Mackin. Free with admission; Room 21