Caribbean Transitions
06/11/2022 to 08/07/2022
American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center
Washington, DC
Overview
June 11–August 7, 2022
Curated by Keith Morrison
This exhibition explores the character, complexity, and originality of art by Caribbean American artists as they expand the art of the North American continent. The 20 artists in the exhibition are respected internationally, and many are represented in major museums in the United States and abroad. They are painters, printmakers, photographers, video makers, and installation and performance artists. Most of the artists were born in the Caribbean and migrated to the US; some were born in the US to Caribbean parents; others live in the Caribbean and exhibit worldwide. Their histories come from Cuba, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and the US.
These artists reveal unique relationships between the Caribbean and the US in ways that expand and enrich a wider understanding of American art and culture. The Caribbean is the historic fulcrum of the cultures of the Americas and the art in this exhibition exemplifies that importance. The themes the artists explore vary greatly, and they were selected for the quality of their work while being mindful of their differences. Some of the artists’ work developed from international challenges they perceived while in the Caribbean, or, in other cases, challenges they realized in Europe and or the US.