Next up in the Small Space:
William Rhodes, Angela Davis Quilt, paint, pencil, pen and fabric, 65 x 50"
|
William Rhodes
TRIBUTESeptember 19 - November 9, 2024 Artist's Reception October 12th from 1-4 pm Oakland Style Week Bus Tour Stop scheduled at 4 pm ____________________ Stop in any time throughout the afternoon to greet artist William Rhodes, along with designer Najee Strickland, who will be presenting his new clothing collection, Blue and Gold. Najee Strickland and William Rhodes will discuss their work during the Oakland Style Week Bus Tour Stop scheduled for 4 pm. |
Opening September 19th, Transmission Gallery is pleased to present ' William Rhodes: Tribute, a solo exhibition of recent quilts and several needle and threaded drawings on view in our Small Space.
Rhodes' work in the show pays tribute to his ancestors, both family members and, more broadly, those heroes who inspired or influenced him across the decades. His father was the publisher of the Black Times Magazine from 1968-1978, a magazine that featured articles on Civil Rights activists and other Black heroes at a time their experience was largely minimized or excluded from main stream publications. Featuring a reproduction from the magazine as the centerpiece, the Angela Davis quilt, pictured above, honors Angela Davis and Rhodes' father as activists and leaders. Encircling the Angela Davis image are Rhodes' hand drawn and painted portraits of members of the community he serves as Intergenerational Community Arts Program Director at Bayview Services in San Francisco. Also in the exhibition, Free the NY21, a quilt honoring Emory Douglas who authorized Rodes' use of his iconic imagery championing the black power movement and the Black Panthers Party, founded in Oakland in 1966 to counter excessive force and police misconduct.
Several small portrait drawings embellished with hand stitched red thread accompany the quilts. These tributes recognize the leadership and accomplishments of those who came before him as Rhodes ties the past to present and future through the sewing stitch taught to him by his grandmother.
William Rhodes is sculptural artist trained in traditional woodworking and blends fine art, craft and design with meaning and function. He draws inspiration from the community and his art is made through them and for them. Teaching art to youth and seniors, and involving them in his public art commissions creates the intersection of art and community his creative spirit thrives in. Rhodes co-founded the 3.9 Collective, and created an intergenerational art program in San Francisco’s Bayview. His public art works include four Bayview history quilts (SFAC) and his work is included in the Smithsonian’s collection.
Tribute will be on view in the Small Space at Transmission Gallery September 19th through November 9th, with the gallery open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from noon to 5pm.
All are welcome to join us for the Artist's Reception and a special Oakland Style Week event with William Rhodes on Saturday, October 12th, as designer Najee Strickland will be unveiling Blue and Gold, a new collection of designs crafted from recycled denim. Inspired in part by Rhodes work, this collection aims to highlight the issue of overconsumption in fast fashion and the environmental impact reflected in the mountains of clothing found on the shores and in the oceans of Accra, the capital of Ghana. Stop in any time between 1 and 4 to greet Rhodes and Strickland personally and see their work, with a special Style Week Bus Tour stop scheduled for 4 pm when Strickland and Rhodes will each speak about their work to those gathered at the gallery. Want to get on the bus?! Click the link below for more info about the bus tour, or take your own transportation and check out any of the special Oakland Style Week events and exhibtions.