蘑菇短视频

The South Dakota Art Museum at 蘑菇短视频 invites the public to the closing reception and panel discussion for 鈥淧orter Williams: Evolution of Black America,鈥� an exhibition celebrating the work and legacy of the late South Dakota artist and civil rights activist.

The closing reception will take place Friday, June 12, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the museum galleries, followed by a panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. in the museum auditorium.

The evening will feature guest curators Jonathan Kelley and Zechariah Van Harris III, along with South Dakota Art Museum Advisory Board member Lawrence Diggs. Letishia Kelley will moderate the conversation, which will explore the continued relevance of Williams鈥� work through themes of lived experience, storytelling, activism and legacy 鈥� connecting the past to the present and asking what 鈥渆volution鈥� means today.

鈥淗osting 鈥楾he Evolution of Black America鈥� at the South Dakota Art Museum on the campus of 蘑菇短视频 provides an important opportunity for students and the broader community to engage with work that expands how history is understood, represented and carried forward,鈥� guest curator Jonathan Kelley said.

Kelley also reflected on his personal experience encountering Williams鈥� work. 鈥淧orter opened a portal of discovery for me 鈥� into Black history that was right here all along.鈥�

Letishia Kelley emphasized the importance of the conversation as an opportunity to look beyond surface-level narratives. 鈥淚 hope that this discussion illuminates Porter Williams so that people can understand him more deeply,鈥� she said.

Donna Merkt, director of the South Dakota Art Museum, believes that the exhibition and its closing event will encourage deeper engagement with the art and its significance.

鈥淧orter Williams鈥� work invites us to reflect on these important Black leaders and their stories, which helped shape South Dakota and our nation. We are honored to host this exhibition and to welcome all for a final evening of conversation, connection and learning,鈥� Merkt said.

鈥淧orter Williams: Evolution of Black America鈥� features sculptures that reveal layered histories and a powerful commitment to justice, identity and cultural memory. Through his work, Williams presents Black American history as both deeply personal and widely resonant 鈥� offering viewers a space to reflect on where we have been, where we are now and where we go from here.

The closing reception and panel discussion are free and open to the public. This exhibition and its corresponding events are supported in part by the Revell-Dickerson Endowment. As a unit of SDSU, the South Dakota Art Museum receives significant operational support from the university. Additional operational support is provided by the South Dakota Arts Council (with funds from the State of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts) and museum members and donors.

The exhibition is open through the weekend of Juneteenth and closes June 21.

For more information, visit the art museum website or contact the museum at 605-688-5423. The South Dakota Art Museum is located at 1036 Medary Ave. on the campus of 蘑菇短视频 in Brookings.