Group exhibition: 'Elizabeth Catlett: Points of Contact'

Presented in the SCAD Museum of Art’s Evans Center for African American Studies, Elizabeth Catlett: Points of Contact examines the life and legacy of one of the most important artists of the past century. A long overdue exploration of her profound influence on artistic practice today, the group exhibition brings to view key prints and sculptures by Catlett (1915–2012) — a citizen of both the U.S. and Mexico — in conversation with contemporary works by living artists from both countries.

Across a 60-year career, Catlett initiated a dialogue between the Black Arts movement in the U.S., Mexico’s pre-Hispanic sculptural language, and Mexican Muralism and Social Realism. Her significant body of politically charged and aesthetically compelling works celebrates ideals of human rights and the dignity and achievements of women of color. Yet, while the artist’s ouevre is canonical, it remains a discovery for many.

On view in the exhibition, Catlett’s signature figurative works in various mediums, including wood-block prints, wood carvings, and bronze sculptures, depict experiences of Black Americans and Indigenous Mexican people in the 20th century with clarity and precision. At the same time, the works honor womanhood and the strength of women of color in public roles such as maker, laborer, educator, and civil rights activist, as well as in the domestic space and familial roles of nurturer, mother, daughter, sister, and confidant. In these portrayals, Catlett reclaims the representation of her subjects in visual culture and fearlessly speaks truth to power. The exhibition illuminates how the artist’s work meditates on these themes as realms of political resistance, building on previous scholarship in which the complexities of her identity have unfolded.

In showcasing the work of contemporary Black American and Mexican artists with strong connections — sometimes direct references — to Catlett’s work, the presentation demonstrates how Catlett’s influences, concerns, and questions are very much alive in global contemporary culture and artistic practice, and highlights the ways in which her works advocate for the dignity of all humans.

Featured artists
Elizabeth Catlett
Elizabeth Catlett in collaboration with David Mora Catlett
Francisco Mora
Mildred Beltré
Geles Cabrera
Jen Everett
Julieta Gil
Ariston Jacks
LaToya Hobbs
Josué Mejía
Pedro Reyes

Opening reception: Sept. 21, 2021

The opening celebrations of the exhibition include the Jacob Lawrence and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Lecture, given by Melanie Anne Herzog, Ph.D., and a screening of the documentary Betty and Pancho (1998) by Juan Mora Catlett.

Elizabeth Catlett: Points of Contact is organized by SCAD Museum of Art adjunct curator Humberto Moro, curator DJ Hellerman, and assistant curator Brittany Richmond. It is the latest iteration in a series presented at the Evans Center, which has included exhibitions examining the work and impact of cultural figures such as Jacob Lawrence and Frederick Douglass.

Museum admission
The exhibition is free for museum members and SCAD students, faculty, and staff with a valid SCAD Card. Open to the public with the cost of museum admission.

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