CURRENT ISSUE Vol. 22, no 4

Contents:

“Art and Visual Culture in the Age of Obama.”  The proliferation of various forms of visual art and design inspired by the historic candidacy and presidency of Barack Obama.  The article also covers the support of visual art by Barack and Michelle Obama and  White House art acquisitions.

“Gained in Translation.”  Conceptual artist Jefferson Pinder’s latest project that combines the production of a CD, a video and his transit through the subways of Mexico City.

“Adventures of the Robot Pickaninnies” on painter Khalif Kelly whose “back to the future” style draws from the pixilated appearance of digitized imagery and the style of old cartoons to depict an allegorical tale.

“A Lineage is Not A Category.”  Recent solo shows for African American women in New York City galleries.   The artists are Chakaia Booker, Teri Richardson, Shinique Smith,  Mickalene Thomas and Paula Wilson

2009 Forward Arts Foundation winner Paul S. Benjamin. His assemblages of found objects are monochromatically painted black to create mysterious-looking dark matter.

“Porter Colloquium at 20.”  Pioneering art historian and critic, James A. Porter of Howard University and the monumental achievement of his successor at Howard,  Floyd Coleman, to extend Porter’s legacy through a  site where the in-depth scholarly analysis of African American art could take place on a regular basis.

“Collector Juliette Bethea in Conversation.” The Washington D.C. art collector is interviewed in “The Collecting of African American Art” series at the National Gallery of Art.

“An Iron Will Commemorated in Steel,” Melvin Edwards’ massive sculpture commemorating David McDonough, the first African American college graduate (Lafayette College, class of 1844) installed on the grounds of his alma mater.

“The New Museum on the Mall.”  The design competition for the National Museum of African American History and Culture.  The profiles of the finalist firms and of the team of architectural firms that won the commission for the museum (projected for completion in 2015) provide a look at the leading African American architects at work today.

“How You Like Me Now?”  The redesign of the International Review of African American Art by the creative director of the New York Times magazines, Arem Duplessis.

“The Art of Social Design.”  Meet Ray Noland who wears his conscience boldly on his graphics.
 
“Perfecting a Landmark.”  The effort of an HBCU to restore a paragon of early modern architecture.

In “The Visual Culture” section: “The Mirror of Michael Jackson” – what the pop icon tells us about ourselves.
Also in this issue:  The “Scene” section of news and reviews (including “Out There”: a survey of the Bay Area, California art scene, “Global Connections” (contemporary art of the African Diaspora),  “Books” (notes on new titles),  “Pow, Whack, Sigh…” (African Diaspora Comic Book Convention and exhibit), “At HU” (Hampton University visual arts news), “Remembrance” (Robert Colescott,  1925-2009) and “An Artist of the Past You Should Know” (Charles Clarence Dawson, 1889-1981).