No Study; No Celebration: A Series of Convenings at Anchorlight – Raleigh, NC

No Study; No Celebration is a series of convenings that studies Black On Black Project's three titular exhibitions in the context of North Carolina's history. Featuring artists from those shows, discussions will center what we've studied about our state in the past decade, using art to share how those learnings are applicable today. The free convenings invite artists André Leon Gray, William Paul Thomas, and Precious D. Lovell to consider who our community is and what our community has accomplished; each discussion will have a text associated with it, as only through study can we grasp a more complete picture of our history.

In 1950, Carter G. Woodson, the founder of Negro History Week, wrote "No Study and Consequently No Celebration" in which he implored learners to celebrate and share what they learned all year rather than limiting it to the week itself. These convenings, hosted at Anchorlight in Raleigh, NC, aim to help us "gain renewed vigor in [our] efforts to battle with present day obstacles" by revisiting a sampling of artworks from each exhibition — Black On Black, BOBV2, and BOBV3.

Featured discussions include the following:

Sunday, November 29, 2 p.m.: André Leon Gray

Raleigh-based artist André Leon Gray and Black On Black founder Michael S. Williams will discuss two of Gray’s works, Keep it in the family and Say it Louder for the People Sleeping in the Back. Learn more.

Sunday, December 6, 2 p.m.: William Paul Thomas

Durham-based artist William Paul Thomas will be in conversation with Michael S. Williams to discuss his portrait series Cyanosis, which suggests a parallel between literal oxygen deprivation and the toll of psychological and emotional distress. Learn more.

Sunday, December 13, 2 p.m.: Precious D. Lovell

Raleigh-based artist Precious D. Lovell will discuss the origins of her work Legacy of the “N” Word: N-slaved, N-carcerated, N-sanity, N-destructible that was featured in 2017’s BOBV2 and why she felt it necessary to create a work studying the word. Learn more.

The events are part of a series reflecting on a decade of the Project’s work to nourish our cultural past, deepen our study, our understanding, and our connection.

Please RSVP for each date you plan to attend.