Thursday, September 23rd, 2021 at 4:30 pm PDT/ 7:30 EST

In Conversation with Curator Glenn Adamson & Artist Ramekon O’Arwisters on occasion of his exhibition “Flowered Thorns” at Patricia Sweetow Gallery.

Glenn Adamson is a curator, writer and historian based in New York. Co-host of the online interview series Design in Dialogue, he has previously been Director of the Museum of Arts and Design; Head of Research at the V&A; and Curator at the Chipstone Foundation in Milwaukee. Adamson’s publications include Thinking Through Craft (2007); The Craft Reader (2010); Postmodernism: Style and Subversion (2011, co-edited with Jane Pavitt); The Invention of Craft (2013); Art in the Making (2016, co-authored with Julia Bryan-Wilson; and Fewer Better Things: The Hidden Wisdom of Objects (2018). His newest book is Craft: An American History, published by Bloomsbury.

Join us for a conversation to celebrate our current Emerging Artist Program exhibition Ramekon O’Arwisters: Freeform and Razor-Sharp. O’Arwisters will be joined in conversation by artist and designer George McCalman. About the Exhibition Ramekon O’Arwisters is a multimedia artist primarily known for his captivating freeform sculptures which experiment with vibrant color, repurposed ceramics, and rich traditions of quilting and weaving. By entangling shards of broken clay, shredded fabric, and discarded materials, the artist contemplates the tangible nature of emotional trauma. Experiencing constant vulnerability as a Black and queer man from the American South, O’Arwisters explores dualities of protection and danger through building what he refers to as “cultural totems” in his work. Receiving his Master of Divinity from Duke University Divinity School, O’Arwisters carries a unique lens on spiritual traditions, and incorporates these healing methods within his artistic practice. In this exhibition, Freeform and Razor-Sharp, we have selected key sculptures from O’Arwisters’ studio that span several years of his formal experimentations and place them in conversation with his additional practice of black-and-white photography. As an extension of his conceptual process, these self-portraits employ a transference of materials from O’Arwisters’ sculptures to create a sharp and intimate dialogue with his own body. O’Arwisters draws the viewer into his ethereal world, while withholding evident displays of his sorrow or joy. Instead, he insists on abstraction, and encourages the viewer to grapple with their own internal fears and wounds. Through a deeply meditative process, O’Arwisters pieces together what once was abandoned and neglected to reimagine the possibilities of collective liberation.

George McCalman is an artist and creative director based in San Francisco and Grenada. His design studio McCalman Co collaborates with a wide range of cultural clients. McCalman’s background in the editorial world has been a foundation of his storytelling, and his decision to cultivate his fine art practice alongside brand work reframed his perspective and synthesized the importance of design. His first book ‘Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and Unseen’ was published in Sept 2022 to profound accolades by The New Yorker’s Hilton Als, NPR, The New York Times, and The San Francisco Chronicle. His book won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work by a Debut Author in Feb 2023.

This program is in support of the exhibition Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, honoring the life and legacy of fashion designer Patrick Kelly.

About the Speakers

Delila Hailechristos is the founder of ReLove, a sustainable fashion resale boutique which opened in 2014. Since its inception, ReLove is a space that celebrates art, community, diversity, and inclusion in fashion. Delila, an immigrant raised in Ethiopia, founded the business to share her passion of curated resale as an alternative to the destructive industry of mass fashion. Sustainability is at the heart of her work at ReLove. Delila is a leading voice in the sustainability conversation and has led talks and panels on the topic. As one of only a handful of Black-owned fashion businesses in San Francisco, ReLove has emerged as a poignant advocate that champions visibility for black creatives. Under Delila’s direction ReLove has worked and collaborated with countless Black artists, photographers, stylists, models, musicians and business owners from across the US.

Mattie Loyce is an interdisciplinary artist, curator, and community advocate originally from and currently based in San Francisco, CA. Critically engaging socio-political content, and encouraging empowerment through decolonial transformative justice are key to her community work and socially engaged artist practice. Throughout her career she has made a commitment to amplifying the voices and supporting the lives of people with marginalized identities, specifically people and artists of the African diaspora, queer people and people of color.

Ramekon O’Arwisters is the founder of Crochet Jam, a community arts project infused with folk art traditions that foster a creative culture in cooperative relationships. He was born in Kernersville, North Carolina and earned a MDiv from Duke University Divinity School in 1986. He was an artist-in-residence at the de Young museum, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, and the Vermont Studio Center. He received the 2014 Eureka Fellowship, awarded by the Fleishhacker Foundation in San Francisco, and a Pollock-Krasner foundation grant in 2021. His work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, 7×7 Magazine, Artnet, San Francisco Examiner, and Brian Boucher’s Daily Dispatch.

George McCalman was raised in Brooklyn and received his BFA in philosophy at St. John’s in Queens, NY, which inform his design principles to this day. He credits his Caribbean background for his unique ability to both embrace and rebel against traditional modes of design, enabling a brand to simultaneously integrate and stand out in its industry. After fourteen years as a leading art director in the magazine industry, George McCalman opened the doors to MCCALMAN.CO in 2011. Working at highly respected national magazines like ReadyMade, Mother Jones, and Entertainment Weekly, McCalman amassed numerous design awards throughout his career. His editorial background gives him a unique perspective on commercial branding.

About the Exhibition

In the Artist’s Studio: Ramekon O’Arwisters

Mark Sabb | April 25, 2020

Interview conducted by Demetri Broxton, Director of Education

Saturday, February 3rd at 3pm: In Conversation: Demetri Broxton & Ramekon O’Arwisters.