Close Read Group Exhibit

Close Read is a group exhibition featuring new work by Akea Brionne Brown, SHAN Wallace and Savannah Wood. Each artist spent time conducting research in the historic AFRO American Newspapers’ archives, and created new work inspired by their findings. The exhibition was scheduled to run from August 27, 2020 through October 1, 2020 at Baltimore’s Connect + Collect Gallery.  It was extended through October 9.

This project marks the first time that artists have been explicitly invited to work with the AFRO American Newspapers’ archives. Brown dissects a pamphlet about urban renewal, redacting its promotional language to reveal a different message about its underlying negative effects. Wallace’s animated photo collages combine her own images with photos from the AFRO archives to celebrate nearly a century of Black women’s play and labor. Wood follows a genealogical trail, connecting the AFRO’s roots back to a former plantation (now a state park) in Montgomery County. The work produced for this show highlights different artistic approaches to archival inquiry, with Baltimore’s Black communities as a common thread.

The artwork was projected on the gallery windows nightly from sunset to 11pm, allowing for an in-person art experience while maintaining physical-distancing protocols. The work is also screening on the Baltimore Museum of Art’s Screening Room.

Close Read is supported by a grant from the Grit Fund, which is an initiative of Baltimore Arts Realty Corporation. Additional funding was provided by the Awesome Foundation and Afro Charities.

Thanks to Peter Smith and Teri Henderson for production support. Photo documentation by Jill Fannon.