The Woods Before Sunrise: Environment and Place in New Mexico's Black Contemporary

The Woods Before Sunrise: Environment and Place in New Mexico’s Black Contemporary showcases the work of nine contemporary artists whose interpretations of the local environment appeal to universal themes of sustainability, cultural history, and a personal connection to nature. Working across a wide array of mediums, these artists collectively ask: What makes a “landscape”—and who gets to decide?

The third installment in a trilogy of environment-focused exhibitions at the Museum, this presentation is co-curated by artist Nikesha Breeze and Assistant Curator of Art William Gassaway, PhD. Featured artists include Breeze, Ron Adams, Noé Barnett, Maurice Burns, Karsten Creightney, Jakia Fuller, Jackie Mitchell Edwards, Rein Whitt-Pritchette, and Paula Wilson.

Image: Karsten Creightney, Outskirts, 2018, collage, acrylic, oil and wax on wood, 66 x 78 in. Private collection.