Surrealist explores the African Diaspora
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 27, 2023) — The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College is pleased to present “Solo(s): Krista Franklin” a new exhibition opening July 28, featuring a selection of the artist’s collages, books, poetry, and sound works from the past 20 years.
Chicago-based artist Krista Franklin (American, b. 1970), a surrealist at heart, creates collages from the text and images of printed matter she collects. Franklin collaborates with fellow artists, writers, and musicians, drawing on a vast range of materials, including poetry, books, music, and vintage magazine culture to explore the dynamic histories of the African Diaspora.
“Franklin’s incisive work connects the mystical, metaphysical, and spiritual ideas found in genres of science fiction and fantasy to the contemporary moment,” said Curator of Contemporary Art, Katja Rivera. “Her work proposes possibilities for Black culture by drawing on the resonances of Afro-diasporic histories.”
DePaul’s Associate Curator Ionit Behar said: “The word ‘solo’ often refers to the performance of a single musician that is part of an ensemble. A jazz solo, for instance, is both improvisational and structured at the same time, and it works like a story with a beginning, middle, and end. In Krista’s exhibition, the title highlights the artist’s commitment to collaboration with fellow artists, writers, and musicians—an integral part of her practice.”
“Solo(s): Krista Franklin” is organized by DePaul Art Museum and curated by Ionit Behar, Associate Curator. At the DePaul Art Museum, generous support for this exhibition has been provided in part by the Poetry Foundation, Jennifer and Sebastian Campos, Shar and Ellen Afshar, Michael McVickar and Brian Westphal, Joseph and Helen Cesarik, Manuel Juarez, Robert Karpinski and Gregory Weil, Megan Hammond, and Gloria Talamantes. At the Fine Arts Center the exhibition is generously supported by The Anschutz Foundation and Colorado Creative Industries.
RELATED EVENT
In Conversation: Krista Franklin and Ionit Behar
Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023 at 6 p.m.
Please join us for a conversation with the artist and the curator for an in-depth view of the works featured in the exhibition. Free and open to the public. Reservations requested.
VISIT THE FAC MUSEUM
Museum free days are offered the second Saturday and third Friday of each month.
We are open late every Friday with free admission 5–8 p.m. on first Fridays and 10 a.m.–8 p.m. third Fridays.
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ABOUT THE FINE ARTS CENTER MUSEUM
The FAC Museum’s permanent collection of approx. 17,000 objects showcases the rich history and vibrant contemporary cultures of the Southwest and the Americas, containing works of art from Native America, Hispanic and Spanish Colonial New Mexico, and 20th and 21st-century America.
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College
The story of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College (FAC) began with the founding of the Broadmoor Art Academy in 1919. A museum, performing arts theatre, and community art school, the FAC is a pillar in the cultural community of the Rocky Mountain West providing innovative, educational, and multi-disciplinary arts experiences designed to elevate the individual spirit and inspire community vitality. For more information about the FAC, visit fac.coloradocollege.edu or follow on Facebook @CSFineArtsCenter.
Land Acknowledgement
Colorado College occupies the traditional territories of the Nuchu, known today as the Southern Ute Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and the Northern Ute People, who lost their beloved homelands due to colonization, forced relocation, and land theft. Other tribes have also lived here including the Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Comanche — and notably, continue to do so, along with many other Indigenous Peoples. To actively seek social justice, we acknowledge that the land continues to hold the values and traditions of the original inhabitants and caretakers of this land. We pay honor and respect to their ancestors, elders, and youth — past, present, and future.
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