"Faith Ringgold: More Than 50 Years” opens Tuesday, November 18, 7 p.m. at Diana Wortham Theatre.

from staff reports

Faith Ringgold, photo by Grace Matthews.

As part of its 60th anniversary celebration, the Asheville Art Museum’s smArt speak: Distinguished Artist Series will present “Faith Ringgold: More Than 50 Years.” Ringgold will speak on Tuesday, November 18 at 7 p.m. at the Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place downtown.

Ringgold has worked as a painter, textile artist, and children’s book author who explores the African American experience both personally and in a more universal way. She has written and illustrated eleven children’s books and is best known for story quilts that bridge craft and fine art by combining painting, quilted fabric, and storytelling.

“Personal Narrative” is the theme of a constellation of programs highlighting her work, much of which invokes a dialogue about racial histories and representations. She uses different mediums and styles to comment on her perspective as a woman and an African American artist working at a time of social instability and widespread change. Her quilts are inspired by past African American experiences but also touch on the racial dialogue occurring in the present.

“Dancing on the George Washington Bridge,” 1988, acrylic on canvas, 68 x 68 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Ringgold’s work has been instrumental in advocating for a more diverse presence of artists in museums across the country, especially in terms of racial and gender representations. Through humor and play, she questions the tension between “primitive” and “civilized” by tapping into historical assumptions and creatively relating the past to the present. Her writings, illustrations, and mixed-media works combine to create a unique style that attracts both children and adults to her humanistic messages. “Tar Beach,” “Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky,” “The Invisible Princess,” and other books and story quilts have been said to “not reprimand but instill hope in the reader to pursue their own dreams with affirmation and joy.

Ringgold has received numerous prestigious awards for her work. Her art is found in exhibitions throughout the world and museum collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. She has taught art at the University of California in San Diego.

Tickets are available at Diana Wortham Theatre Box Office. $24 General Admission, $16 Students and $20 Museum Members. Patron tickets ($100), available at the Asheville Art Museum by calling (828) 253-3227, ext. 120, include admission to the event, preferred seating, and a reception with the artist. For more information, please visit www.ashevilleart.org or www.smartspeak.org.

smArt speak, Asheville Art Museum’s Distinguished Artist Series, is sponsored by a grant from MetLife Foundation. A series partner is the Buncombe County Library System. Additional partners are the University of North Carolina at Asheville and The Asheville School. In-kind sponsors include Renaissance Asheville Hotel, Haywood Park Hotel, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, Fugazy Travel and WCQS Public Radio.

On Display:
Faith Ringgold Quilt Project
November 1-30 at Pack Memorial Library, Pack Children’s Library. Pack Children’s Library has put together a quilt of artist Faith Ringgold’s work using images of from her children’s books as well as the book covers. Come and enjoy this beautiful quilt during the month of November!

The AIDS Memorial Quilt:
A Tapestry of Lives
November 24 - December 1, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving Day. Beginning Monday, November 24 and ending with a Candlelight Memorial Vigil at 7 p.m. on Monday, December 1 (World AIDS Day), The AIDS Memorial Quilt: A Tapestry of Lives will be on display in Pack Place for an entire week.