Artist Conversation: Mark Thomas Gibson (Miami Watch Party)

Program

• 5:00pm - Doors open
• 5:00-6:00pm - Mix and mingle, light refreshments
• 6:00-7:00pm - Conversation with Mark Thomas Gibson, Artist, and James Claiborne, Deputy Director for Community Engagement, Barnes Foundation, broadcast live from Philadelphia
• 7:00-8:00pm - Mix and mingle, light refreshments

June 4, 2024 | 5:00-8:00pm

Doors Open at 5:00pm

Ampersand Studios, 31 NE 17th St, Miami, FL

Complimentary parking lot in the back of the building, enter parking lot from the back side of the building.

Art Talk Featuring Mark Thomas Gibson, Artist, in Conversation with James Claiborne, Deputy Director for Community Engagement, Barnes Foundation

Hosted by the Barnes Foundation & Miami MoCAAD—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 life.

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 Cooper Union in 2002 and an MFA from Yale School of Art in 2013. Gibson is a graduate of New World School of the Arts High School, Miami, FL. 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.

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.

About the Barnes Foundation

The Barnes Foundation was founded in 1922 by Philadelphia art collector Dr. Albert C. Barnes, with the belief that learning with and through art is a powerful agent for personal growth and social progress. In the Barnes collection, artists such as Renoir and Picasso share space with remarkable African masks and Native American jewelry in ensembles that invite the viewer to draw their own connections across artistic traditions and time for a singularly immersive experience.

From thought-provoking exhibitions that champion artists across diasporas, identities, periods, and disciplines, to robust social and educational programs that bring together communities and learners of all ages, the Barnes sparks exploration of our world through art.

About 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.

This event is in partnership with Swarthmore Black Alumni Network (SBAN):

Founded by alumni of Swarthmore College, the mission of the Swarthmore Black Alumni Network (SBAN) is to serve, involve, engage, and inform the Swarthmore community of Black alumni to build powerful networks, promote mentoring, create initiatives, and execute programs that connect Black alumni to each other, their communities, current Black students, and to the faculty, staff, and administration of Swarthmore College. As SBAN focuses on supporting our Black alumni, we also work to address pertinent issues, celebrate our history and culture, and extend our reach to ensure our impact reaches beyond our small circle to our broader Black global community.

MIAMI MoCAAD = Art + Tech

To learn more about Miami MoCAAD visit: https://www.miamimocaad.org

To make donations visit: https://www.miamimocaad.org/support

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📧 Contact us at support@blackart.org