Nashville’s Frist Center for the Visual Arts is garnering national attention this week. The museum is giving a major American artist her first ever retrospective.
If you know photography, you’ve probably seen Carrie Mae Weems’ work: the story of a black woman shown in scenes at her kitchen table, racist jokes and stereotypes contrasted with portraits of African-Americans, or words about the impact of slavery floating over blood-red enlargements of historic images.
“I think much of my work is very difficult because I am always trying to negotiate those very tough feelings.”
In 2008, a major critic complained in print that a Weems retrospective was overdue. Frist Center curator Kathryn Delmez took that as a challenge. Working over the last few years, she’s put together a show that Frist director Susan Edwards calls a high-water mark for the museum.
“It does set a new benchmark for us to demonstrate that we can do something that requires this kind of background research.”
The art world is watching. Even before opening, the Weems exhibit has racked up mentions from Time Magazine, the Huffington Post and the New York Times.
The restrospective is on display at the Frist Center for four months, starting Friday. After that, it goes on a national tour, ending in New York at the Guggenheim.
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