In a 1995 Press-Republican article, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa talked about his attitude toward creating poetry in advance of his Black Poetry Day reading at SUNY Plattsburgh that October.
“I’m willing to discover other avenues, other methods,” he said. “I want to be growing. I not only want to surprise my audience, but I want to surprise myself. I don’t want to write about the same thing. I already know. For me, it’s a process, a discovery.”
The last four words of the last line was the inspiration for the Plattsburgh State Art Museum’s Juneteenth exhibition, “a process, a discovery: A Celebration of Black Artists in SUNY Plattsburgh’s Collections,” which has an opening reception Friday in the Slatkin Gallery, John Meyers Fine Arts Building, SUNY Plattsburgh.
EXHIBITION SYNOPSIS
The exhibition “a process, a discovery” shines a light on the legacy and influence of African-American artists, poets, writers and musicians, and highlights some of the connections between legendary figures and the SUNY Plattsburgh campus. Artwork on display from the Plattsburgh State Art Museum collection features notable modern and contemporary artists including Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Samella Lewis and Kara Walker.
Plattsburgh State Art Museum Director Tonya Cribb ran into Jackie Madison, president of the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association, and shared her desire to participate in the 2025 Juneteenth Colors of Freedom Celebration.
After a survey on SUNY Plattsburgh’s campus last fall, students’ feedback included they wanted to see more representation of African-American artists in the college’s Museum Without Walls program.
“Our collection is predominantly white male,” Cribb said.
The Student Association has made more inclusive purchases over the last 15 years.
“There were a couple of African-American artists that I felt like we really, really should have because they were so important to art history,” she said.
Cribb made several herself this year; two works, “Pepper Jelly Lady” and “The Lantern” by Romare Bearden and two works (from The Legend of John Brown) by Jacob Lawrence.
“We have some new works to include because I think they are important artists, part of the art historical canon,” she said. “We already had some terrific artists in our collection.”
There are two works, “Migrants” and “Family” by Samella Sanders Lewis (1923-2022), who is hailed as the “Godmother of African American Art.
“She was the first African-American woman to get her PhD in art history and MFA in studio art,” Cribb said. “Apparently, she taught here at SUNY Plattsburgh for a brief period in the ‘50s. I was really stunned to see that she was in the collection. She was really a prominent, very important artist to the 20th and 21st centuries. It was wonderful to have her work.”
In addition to artwork, ephemera from Feinberg Library Special Collections and research from students from the 2019 class PSC 371: African-American Political Thought, highlights notable Black poets, writers and musicians that have made a mark on campus. A few of the featured writers and musicians include Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, Yusef Komunyakaa, LL Cool J, Odetta and Nina Simone.
This exhibition was organized by museum staff in collaboration with faculty members John McMahon, associate professor of political science, and Michaela Rife, assistant professor of art history. The exhibition and related events are co-sponsored in partnership with the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and the Juneteenth Colors of Freedom Committee.