Never Loud Enough: AAMARP 1977 – Now at the ICA

“Does it bother you that your art wasn’t shown at the MFA or the ICA or bigger institutions?” he asked the artist. Her reply was that her art is shown at the Harriet Tubman House and the African American Master Artists Resident Program (AAMARP) shows. What I loved about this interaction shared with our group yesterday, is that art is art no matter which walls are holding it, and not everyone has a traditionally white Euro-centric large establishment as a benchmark for their work. That being said, art that hangs in larger museums, who are working hard to be less of a white Euro-centric institutions will likely be seen by more people and ideally a broader audience. The ICA puts in a concerted effort to highlight a variety of art and artists that fit within the contemporary art realm. This exhibit matters more because while we often eat local we rarely “art local”. The rich history of AAMARP in Boston is something to savor and relish. I happened to go to a talk about the exhibit with curator Jeffrey De Blois last night, and being able to hear how this exhibit was created from photographs, newspaper clippings and oh so retro GBH clips from shows like Say Brother (started in 1968). The art presented in Say It Loud is a diverse mix of visual art from quilts and photographs to sculpture, paintings and pen and ink drawings.

Why This Above All Else?

Art is not for everyone. Or at least that is what I hear from so many people who say they don’t like art. I don’t think they don’t like art. People don’t like when they feel like they are supposed to understand something they don’t understand. People don’ t like when they feel nothing when others are feeling something. That isn’t a dislike of art, that is a dislike of new situations. The best way to learn to appreciate art is to throw out any expectations. Look at what is in the room and see what you gravitate to. I infamously, blurted out loudly in The Louvre (at about 8 years old) that I hated impressionism. I had some strangers give me a talking to, and was told that “hate” was a very strong word. I did learn to appreciate impressionism but had way more interest in pointillism. I enjoy art, I connect with art, and I have been exposed to a lot of art, so I may have an easier time in a gallery only because it is more familiar to me than my husband for example. Exposure is a privilege, but lack of exposure doesn’t have to be a barrier. If you have never been to the ICA or don’t consider yourself an “art museum type of person”, give it a try. There are free nights on Thursdays, and free weekend dates for Bank of America card holders. Why this above all else? Walking through Say It Loud: AAMARP 1977-Now you will find something that either resonates with you or makes you want to come closer to read who made it and why. The reason you need to come see this exhibit above all else is simply for the history of AAMARP, art and artists in Boston. This is a very Boston story. The artists are connected from being a subject in one another’s artwork, to having been mentor-student, they are studio neighbours.

Say What? Is AAMARP

The African American Master Artist in Residence Program began in 1974, when Northeastern offered studio space and a teaching position to artists Dana Chandler. Chandler also taught at Northeastern, and used the studio both for meetings and to host other African American artists. AAMARP grew and became a rent-free studio space with three-year residencies for its artists. The original 13 artists in residence included painter Ellen Banks and Calvin Burnett, the multimedia artist and educator who taught at Massachusetts College of Art for 33 years. Like any and all artist studio/residence stories this one has the same tensions. The toxic never-ending pattern of artists finding free or inexpensive spaces to work in and beautify places long neglected and overlooked, transforming them, and then being kicked out as soon as they become desirable and worth something in great part thanks to the artists themselves is a classic ugly human story as old as time. The heyday of such places is highlighted in Say It Loud and not without its bumps and bruises AAMARP is alive (and mostly well) to this day.

The Art

Say It Loud presents works by thirty-nine artists affiliated with AAMARP from its founding in 1977 to now. AAMARP started off at 11 Leon Street on Northeastern’s campus, then split to a rented space at 590 Huntington Avenue, and is now fully housed at 76 Atherton Street in Jamaica Plain. The show at the ICA was metaphorically stitched together by studying archival documents, looking deeply at old photos and video footage, and personal recollections. The result is a body of work that could belong in any museum, but is deeply rooted in Boston.

You Can Get Here from There

Say It Loud is on at the ICA through August 2nd. Tickets for the ICA are available here and you can come for free on Thursday evenings if you book ahead of time here. There are also many free and reduced opportunities that you can peruse here for families, students, artist and more. Getting here is quite easy. You can take the MBTA Red Line to South Station and transfer to the Silver Line Waterfront. The ICA is a short walk from either the World Trade Center or the Courthouse station. There are many parking garages nearby and you can also try your luck at nearby metered street parking.