On Tuesday evening, I trained up to Philadelphia for the celebration of the anticipation of the North American premiere of The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure exhibition at the Philadelphia Art Museum.
I arrived to the Picnic restaurant in Philadelphia’s East Kensington area. I instantly felt welcomed at the event, which was great as I was a little nervous being that I came to the event solo and not knowing anyone within the art world in Philadelphia. I eventually connected with a group of Black content creators in the Philly area that were so sweet, hilarious, and supportive.
During the event, we heard from Erica Battle, one of the exhibition’s curators, and Paul Dien, the museum’s chief marketing officer. I captured the moment on Instagram—feel free to check it out! This exhibition is a significant milestone for both the museum and the Philadelphia community. The exhibition will open on November 9, 2024, with additional programming aligned with the exhibition’s theme to come.
As the event came to a close, guests were gifted a branded tote bag featuring the exhibition’s title in big bold blue text, along with a custom whiskey bourbon adorned with a special collaboration sticker between the museum and Kinsey Distilling, a local Philadelphia brewery. Even though I’m not a bourbon drinker, it was exciting to see this unique partnership—I’ll definitely be gifting the bourbon to a family member to enjoy.
Being invited to this event was a special moment for my content journey.
Things To Know about the Exhibition
Curated by British writer and curator Ekow Eshun, The Time Is Always Now takes its title from an essay on desegregation by American writer and social rights activist James Baldwin. It highlights a sense of urgency around contemporary artistic expression, while acting as a reminder that Black artists exist within an always-evolving artistic lineage.
This exhibition will feature 28 Black and African diasporic contemporary artists who use figurative painting, drawing and sculpture to illuminate and celebrate the nuance and richness of Black contemporary life.
The more than 60 contemporary works featured in this exhibition unfold around three core themes: Double Consciousness, The Persistence of History and Our Aliveness. Double Consciousness.
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