If You Knew, Let it Be Us
June 16 - August 20

• Opening Reception / Meet the Artist: Friday, June 16 / 5-8pm
• Free and open to the public
• Art Round Town: Friday, July 7 & August 4. 5-8pm.*

Artist Statement:

I am a Black man who paints, draws, and collages to tell stories of power manifested in resilient peoples, determined to resist erasure and break free of master narratives. My work embodies a unique strength expounded by the oppressed. I explore race, history, and intersectionality. My ideas are often expressed in a graphic style that incorporates realism, minimalism, and hard-edge painting. My mixed media works show individuals in and out of black and white spaces, shaped like rectangles and squares, a metaphor for segregation, defiance, and loss. The black space represents Black power, and the white space represents white supremacy. The blue overhead can carry different meanings based on the scene shown underneath its band of color. Depending on its size, shade, and placement, the blue can symbolize peace, tension, or the abuse of power.

Strengthened by my role as a Black educator, I capture moments of atmospheric and direct tension and rebellion to rattle America's exclusionary ideals and legacies – choices enacted by the impact of deferring Black joy for centuries.

My mixed media works show individuals in and out of black and white spaces, shaped like rectangles and squares, a metaphor for segregation, defiance, and loss. The black space represents Black power, and the white space represents white supremacy. Depending on its size, shade, and placement, the blue can symbolize peace, tension, or the abuse of power.

McKinley Wallace bio:

McKinley Wallace III, a mixed-media painter and art educator, received his Master of Arts in Teaching and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). His studio work has been shown in solo exhibitions at MICA, Waller Gallery, and Creative Alliance as well as group shows at Band of Vices, Carroll Mansion, Washington Project for the Arts, Arlington Art Center, Main Line Art Center, Towson University, and Terrault Gallery. In recognition of his craft, he has received many awards, including a Maryland State Arts Council’s Individual Artist Award, Bethesda Painting (Young Artist) Award, and the Baker Artist Award.

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*Art 'Round Town is a gallery walk in Portsmouth on the first Friday of each month.

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Stay connected to the Gallery from home: view the virtual Gallery!

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Grant support for this exhibit provided by:

Generously supported by: