Join us for an evening with Dr. Cheryl Finley to discuss her 2018 book titled Committed to Memory: The Art of the Slave Ship Icon (Princeton University Press). In an illustrated presentation, Finley will address how an eighteenth-century engraving of a slave ship became a cultural icon of black resistance, identity, and remembrance. Guided by the question “How do artists use visual culture to create alternative narratives?,” Finley will present on salient themes that emerged from her research, including “How is the slave ship icon relevant to contemporary culture and identities?” Included in the talk will be perspectives on current exhibition artist Paa Joe, whose work is contextualized in Finley’s book. Following the book talk, participants will join Finley in the exhibition galleries, as she offers critical insights into the exhibition Paa Joe: The Gates of No Return.

A wine and cheese reception to follow.

Cheryl Finley is an associate professor of art history at Cornell University, as well as a curator, contemporary art critic, and frequent essayist. She is the author of Committed to Memory: The Art of the Slave Ship Icon (Princeton University Press, 2018) and co-author of My Soul Has Grown Deep: Black Art from the American South (Yale University Press, 2018). A specialist in the art market, Dr. Finley’s current research examines the global art economy, focusing on the relationship among artists, museums, biennials, and migration in the book project Black Market: Inside the Art World.

Photo credit: Gediyon Kifle