NOW: African-American Artists in Tidewater Exhibition is on display!
The Now: African-American Artists in Tidewater Exhibition is now on display at The Charles H. Taylor Arts Center Arts Center and we are excited for you to see it! It will be open for viewing through June 18. Hear what co-juror Clayton J. Singleton has to say about this incredibly thought provoking exhibition.
NOW: African-American Artists in Tidewater examines the work of approximately one hundred artists working and living in the Tidewater region of Virginia. It is a show that explores a breadth of vison, media, and interpretations created by both emerging artists and established artists. Bringing together diverse artists seated in Tidewater reveals the truth about African-American creativity in our area; the truth that we are not merely an intermediary between Washington, D.C. and Charlotte, NC or Atlanta, GA. We are a destination, and our home is a rich diverse culture whose experiences we proudly shout with our own voices.
The artists in NOW were selected from creatives currently living in the seven cities. Although the region has birthed artists who work in surrounding counties or have moved to other states while still exhibiting in the area, we felt it was important to focus on current residents revealing how relevant, brilliant and valuable the art is that is created in our area.
What’s most interesting about NOW is the breadth of the show. The fact that we can see the dynamic range of African-American experiences juxtaposed to the dynamic range of 
artisan experiences is the hinge of the exhibit. Viewing signature work from an artist next to the work of an artist whose title card must be read, infuses the space with an energy usually reserved for grandparents talking with youngsters. This cross-generational conversation summons subject matter traditionally reflecting Black experience which is often linked to heritage, restraint, and resurrection. What’s interesting is to find new iconography presented by both emerging and established artists predicting a new trail of events, presenting imagery of “Non-Black” interests, and new constructions of self-interpretation. However, what may be cumbersome to bare in some emerging artists’ works are the presence of experiences still used in stitching today’s quilts. NOW is not simply an exhibition. It is an opportunity. It is an opportunity to promote the celebration and the expansion of African-American stories while they are written, rewritten, edited, and uploaded for the world to see. – Clayton J. Singleton