Quincy Art Center offering AfroNOW exhibit from Aug. 19 through Oct. 28

August 7, 2023 | By Muddy River News

Coltrane, left, and Cosmic Kiss are examples of multimedia work of visual art created by Stacey A. Robinson. | Photos courtesy of Quincy Art Center

QUINCY — Quincy Art Center’s exhibits tell stories of different cultures and bring the world to Quincy.

The exhibit “AfroNOW: A Journey Through the Blackest Space on the Other Side of Time” will open with a reception from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19. The artist, Stacey A. Robinson, will give an artist talk at 1:30 p.m.

The open reception will feature the 14th annual members of Quincy Art Center and the 2023 students and instructors of Quincy Art Center exhibits. Quincy Children’s Museum also will have an interactive satellite exhibit.

Robinson’s multimedia artwork discusses decolonized Black futures and is influenced by science fiction, Black liberation politics and comic books. Robinson’s artwork is part of the larger cultural movement, Afrofuturism. In visual art, the genre of Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic that combines science-fiction, history and fantasy to explore the African-American experience and envision positive black futures that stem from Afro-diasporic experiences.

Robinson’s artwork has been exhibited internationally, most notably at the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building in 2021 and at Carnegie Hall in 2022.

Robninson is an associate professor of graphic design and design for responsible innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Fine and Applied Arts.

The public is invited. The exhibit will be up from Aug. 19 through Oct. 28. The Art Center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and it’s free to view the exhibits.

For more information, visit quincyartcenter.org or call 217-223-5900.

The AfroNOW exhibit is made possible by: