Janathel Shaw discusses her solo exhibition Hear Our Voices in a conversation with artist Neville Barbour. This artist talk will focus on creating art about the Black American experience and the powerful narratives these works convey. Viewers are encouraged to engage in rich and purposeful conversation with the artists.

Janathel Shaw is a ceramic sculptor and portrait artist who focuses on social justice and seeks to illustrate the "humanness" of Black Americans in her art. The themes of resilience, spiritual journeys, critical dialogue, and vision are incorporated. She examines the role "racism" plays in the lives of Black Americans in terms of perception, treatment, and as contributors to American society. In doing so, she invites understanding. The narrative is embedded in her body of art. Sometimes, the message is clear and may include clues that the viewer pieces together to form their opinion. 

Shaw's drawings and prints show an appreciation for the drawn mark, value, implied texture, and the texture of the paper. The lines, space, layers, and choice of materials act as the characters and storylines. Janathel's portfolio is a diary of her experiences and documentation of social history.

Neville Barbour is a DC native, primarily working with charcoal. He believes that our past remains with us for a reason: We must choose how to reinterpret it. We must process it so that it does not fester. He makes art that brings his past and others' past alive. He searches for the black, the white, and the “indelible” gray. 

Touchstone Gallery will be open from 6:00 - 7:00 pm for exhibition viewing

A Closer Look is sponsored by Touchstone Foundation for the Arts