BMA Stories
BMA Stories is much more than what's on view, though we cover that too! BMA Stories explores the questions art raises, the conversations it sparks, and the stories that surround it.
A Cautionary Tale, as Told by Emmanuel Massillon
I can recall many instances when museumgoers looked at Emmanuel Massillon’s “Mud Libation” (RIP Fredo Santana) with curiosity, admiration, and awe. This hip-hop-inspired sculpture commands attention: viewers are dwarfed by it. I overheard a visitor ask, “Is it coffee?” referring to the doubled Styrofoam cups perched on the dirt that Massillon had meticulously arranged.
In Conversation with Ekow Eshun, Guest Curator of Black Earth Rising
Black Earth Rising revels in nature’s beauty and reveals new ways of understanding social justice and climate change.
Nylon Nature: Grenfell Rugs and Arctic Production
This hooked mat, featuring a polar bear floating on ice, was made by a woman living in a fishing village on the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Pre-made designs, along with kits of materials, were issued to women living in fishing communities across Newfoundland and Labrador. These women worked in their own homes, carefully hooking strands of silk or rayon through the burlap that served as the base for a rug. In turn, these vibrantly colored rugs were sent out to urban consumers in Canada, Britain, and New England.