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Art History Lecture with Prof. Jody Berman Join us at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24 for a virtual art history lecture with Jody Berman, an adjunct faculty member of art at Carthage. This event is part of the Red Bracelet Project and is sponsored by the Division of Arts and Humanities and the Art Department.

Attend the lecture on Zoom

In her lecture, Prof. Berman will discuss artist Derrick Adams “Culture Club” series as examined within her forthcoming book, “Laughing Til It Hurts: Racism, Humor and the Burden of Representation.” In part of her work, she states, “to the same extent that Black citizens have brought attention to the historic and present-day oppression of their communities, individual Black artists have likewise sought to reveal visually the histories of their own particularized, evolving experience. Genre scenes that represent individuals at leisure, for instance, are ubiquitous within the art historical canon and yet artist Derrick Adams’s Culture Club series is singular in its playful depiction of Black subjects at leisure within the historically contested site of the American public swimming pool. The series is rooted in the contemporary moment and yet alludes to the way in which it has been shaped by the past.” These words are only a glimpse into the inspiring and thought-provoking material that will continue in this lecture.

Prof. Berman is currently an adjunct professor at both Carthage College and DePaul University. She received a master’s degree in African art and a doctorate in American art with an emphasis in African American art. Prof. Berman has worked in several states across the country, including Florida and New York, and her research has focused on the arts of the African Diaspora. In New York City, she managed Laurence Miller Gallery, which specializes in vintage and contemporary photography, and in Florida, she worked with the African art collection at the Harn Museum of Art. Her work includes essays, photography, and books. Her forthcoming book “Laughing Til it Hurts: Racism, Humor and the Burden of Representation” will be published through Penn State University press.

SPONSORING DEPARTMENT, OFFICE, OR ORGANIZATION:

Fine Arts at Carthage, Division of Arts and Humanities, Art Department