Students Showcase Black Art in “Layers of Joy” Exhibition

Students in the Black Art in Minneapolis course (ARTH 3940 / PHIL 3760) curated the “Layers of Joy” exhibition, a month-long event that was open to the community last fall. They selected five local artists to be featured at the exhibition, taking on different jobs ranging from website development to art installation to social media. Through this experience, they have gained not only professional skills but also a deeper appreciation for cultural inclusivity in art. 

What is Black joy in art?

Assistant Professor Dwight Lewis Jr. (philosophy) was fascinated with the ways Black joy shows up in art. He wanted to create a class that explores and honors Black artists and the unique, interconnected expressions of joy in their art. He co-taught the course and collaborated with Professor Daniel Greenberg (art history) to create the art history course Black Art in Minneapolis. A course that Lewis explained couldn’t have happened without Greenberg because of Greenberg's expertise in the best practices of art curation. Furthermore, Greenberg expressed, “Serving diverse communities is at the forefront of my mission in life and at UMN.”

Lewis says, “This art is tied to a particular place: Minneapolis, Minnesota. George Floyd was murdered here four years ago, yet this summer, [the] Star Tribune defined Minneapolis as the happiest city in America. Happy for who, right?” 

Despite this hardship, Black joy persists as a form of resistance. Lewis explains, “We talked about the ways that Blackness has to show up here, layered in so many particular ways, bending and folding just to move. It's through being able to bend and fold yourself in ways where you don't end up empty as a Black person.”

Students critically engaged with the art’s histories and narratives to better understand and appreciate the legacies of Black artists in the Twin Cities. “With a lot of art being focused on serious topics, Black joy can sometimes be overshadowed by more negative emotions,” says student Camille Dauplaise. “We wanted to amplify artists whose work embodied Black joy and create something that brings the community jubilation.”

Gaining Work Experience

Planning for the exhibition started with visiting local artists’ studios to learn about their artistic processes. In addition to building the foundation for the course, this experience helped students network and build lasting relationships with each other and the artists. Student Roque Wood-Sinclair says, “I became more confident in approaching different communities and being able to engage with folks.”

It was all hands on deck when the semester began. Each student played a role, ensuring the exhibition would run smoothly, playing to their strengths while also honing new skills. They organized events, designed catalogs and postcards, created websites, managed social media pages, and more. Dauplaise says, “I was able to install art in a gallery for the first time as well as even use power tools!”

Both the students and professors had to roll with the punches to stay on track. “I’m most proud of my classmates for being able to put all this work and effort into this exhibition,” says student Nancy Ortiz. “This was not a one-man team [but] a collaboration of work. I hope people appreciate that this [was] done by undergraduate students and that this goes beyond what was expected of them.”

The students pulled through by supporting one another and working as a team. Lewis was impressed with the students’ skills and ingenuity: “I was not expecting students to be like this. I thought I was going to have to hand-hold the whole time, and I rarely hand-held. They were great.”

The Exhibition

After months of planning and dedication, the students displayed art pieces made from textiles, embroidery, paint, sequins, glass, silk, wood, metal, linoleum, and light at the Regis Center for Art. The layered materiality of the pieces embodied “Layers of Joy,” celebrating the many different forms Black joy shines through in art. 

They kicked it off with a pre-opening event featuring local artist seangarrison, who performed a live painting that was later displayed at the exhibition. The live painting was followed by more artist performances from the exhibition and a dance party. The exhibition was enjoyed by students and staff at the U as well as the greater Twin Cities community.

For the students, one of the most memorable aspects of the class was seeing their work pay off. Dauplaise says, “The community response was really wonderful. We had a lot of support and people expressing their delight, which was very rewarding. We had a community wall with the question, ‘What does Joy mean to you?’ Reading the responses was very fun.”

Engage in Black Art

Lewis urges students of all majors to consider taking classes like this one. “That's the beautiful thing about art history: you need everyone there. It's done the best when you have a diversity of backgrounds.”

This story was written by Madeline McClure (BA ‘25, English).