The artists’ work in "Looking Forward, Looking Black" reflects the representation of the black body over the course of the century. The Weatherspoon is the only southeast venue for this nationally traveling exhibition.

Curator Jo Anna Isaak, of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, called the exhibition "an investigation of self and society at a crucial moment of self-reflection." The works, she said, "collectively... examine what it feels like to be in that body as well as how that body appears, and look forward to a different picture of the diasporic black peoples being formed in the coming millennium."

The exhibition, which features the work of 16 African American and white artists, contains paintings that deal with serious issues and raise questions about race, representation and cultural identity.

A panel discussion by curator Isaak and some of the exhibition artists will be held on Sunday, Aug. 29, at 2 p.m. "Looking Forward, Looking Black" is part of "Who R We," a year-long series of programs at UNCG that will examine themes of race relations, tolerance, racial stereotyping and cultural differences today. The exhibition will run through Oct. 31 in Gallery 7.

The artists in the exhibition use various means to reexamine images and metaphors of the black body. The earliest works in the exhibition, by Maria Howard Weeden, date from the end of the 19th century. Her sensitive watercolor paintings of ex-slaves represent people who lived throughout the community but were never acknowledged in the prevailing social conditions. Through her work, Weeden has attempted to make "seen" these often anonymous and seemingly forgotten people.

Artists Beverly McIver and Renee Cox tap into the power of humor, with its historical significance and emotional value, as a subtle and pervasive antidote powerful enough to dislodge rigidly entrenched stereotypes.

"Looking Forward, Looking Black" also addresses the images and icons of popular culture as they confront and question notions of cultural identity and experience. Carrie Mae Weems, Kara Walker and Robert Colescott attempt to undo racial stereotyping by pushing it past an accepted level, an approach that has met with considerable controversy. Bill Traylor, born into slavery, drew images from deep memories and familiar objects and events of everyday life.

Emma Amos’s work bears witness to the past, framing memory and divining history in paintings that echo the narrative tradition of tapestries. Glenn Ligon uses text in his work, appropriating the words of others to develop tension between the impersonal and the autobiographical. Alison Saar, Lyle Ashton Harris and Lesley Dill all deal with representations of the black body, often engaging the physical form in a metaphorical debate challenging prevailing notions of beauty and gender.

Several educational programs have been developed around "Looking Forward, Looking Black." A series of documentaries and feature films addressing issues of race will be one of the highlights. This series, co-sponsored with the Department of Broadcasting/Cinema & Theater and the College of Arts and Sciences Program Committee at UNCG, will include discussion by members of the academic, religious and artistic community. Information on all programs, along with the film schedule, is available by calling the Weatherspoon at 336-334-5770.

On Wednesday, Oct. 13, at 5:30 p.m., communications consultant and educator Denise Franklin will present a lecture, titled "Our Lives Through Their Lens," which will address racial stereotyping in the media.

The exhibition will also be accompanied by Greensboro Responds, a program which invites members of the community to preview the exhibition, select a work that interests them and write a response to the work. Their responses will be placed on labels, to be installed next to the selected artworks. A Reading and Resource Room within the gallery will contain materials that will allow visitors to explore in depth the issues and artists addressed in the exhibition.

A special arts program for teen students ages 13-18 will explore the theme of race and representation. This program is sponsored by the Weatherspoon Art Gallery and the Caldcleugh Multicultural Arts Center and will take place at both locations. It will be held in two sessions and is free. To register or to receive more information concerning the program, call Pam Hill, Weatherspoon curator of education.

The Weatherspoon is located on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Continuing at the Weatherspoon is the exhibition "Fifteen: Jim Isermann Survey," through Aug. 8 in Gallery 7; and "Preparators Picks," through Sept. 12 in the Falk Gallery. Other exhibitions include "Collection Highlights," "Henri Matisse: Prints and Bronzes from the Cone Collection," "Escape from the Vault" and the Sculpture Courtyard.