Three Black artists represented in The Shape of Abstraction will discuss current dialogues surrounding abstract art at the Saint Louis Art Museum on Friday, February 21 at 7 pm. The program is moderated by Rehema C. Barber, chief curator, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. She will be interviewing artists Nanette Carter, Bill Hutson, and James Little about their sources of inspiration and the evolution of their studio practices.
A former Romare Bearden Fellow at the Saint Louis Art Museum, Rehema C. Barber has curated several notable exhibitions, and has contributed to numerous publications including the Saint Louis Art Museum’s Shape of Abstraction catalogue.
Nanette Carter’s artworks are in collections across the globe and she has received several grants including the National Endowment for the Arts. She has exhibited internationally
with her most recent solo exhibitions in Osaka and Kyoto, Japan.
Bill Hutson is an active visual artist who has participated in numerous national and international exhibitions. He currently serves as the Jennie Brown Cook and Betsy Hess Cook Distinguished Artist-in-Residence at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
During his youth, Memphis-born James Little experienced the turbulence following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. This profoundly impacted Little’s approach to life and art. He is recognized as an accomplished colorist and his work is represented in many museums and private collections.
In late 2017, Ronald and Monique McRipley Ollie announced the donation of the Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Art Collection to the Saint Louis Art Museum. The collection, named in honor of Ron’s parents, features 81 works of art by five generations of Black artists that have revolutionized abstract art since the 1940s, including Carter, Hutson, and Little.Â
This program is supported by the Ronald M. and Monique M. Ollie Education Endowment Fund for Abstraction by Black Artists and the Trio Foundation of St. Louis. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Museum’s Information Centers or through MetroTix at metrotix.com or 314.534.1111. All tickets purchased or reserved through MetroTix incur a service charge; the service charge is waived for tickets purchased or reserved at the Museum.
