Patchogue Arts Council • MoCA L.I. is proud to present A Tapestry of Contemporary African Art on view from January 13 through March 17 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Long Island, 20 Terry Street, Patchogue. In collaboration with Montague Contemporary, curators Laura Day Webb and John Cino have chosen works from contemporary African artists living and working throughout the continent, Europe, and the US, showcasing mediums from textile and oil on canvas, to mixed media, photography, and woodcut prints.
The Contemporary African art market has seen increased upward global trajectory across the past decade with no signs of waning. New museums and galleries are opening across the continent and enhanced global recognition via dedicated exhibitions and fairs continue to bolster this exciting market. The rich array of mediums artists are exploring, as well as their examination of themes ranging from political to uniquely personal, make for a rapidly evolving landscape that challenges stereotypes of the continent and its peoples, while celebrating its rich cultural heritage and capturing new audiences.
A Tapestry of Contemporary African Art celebrates the contributions of Contemporary African artists both emerging and established from across the continent, including Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya, and Tunisia. It aims to introduce new audiences to the artists, by showcasing a broad array of themes that underscore their unique voices and styles, while underscoring their collective resonance.
“A Tapestry of Contemporary African Art provides an opportunity for an audience who may be less familiar with Contemporary African art to engage with it on an intimate scale. Featuring a diverse array of mediums from artists across the continent, A Tapestry of Contemporary African Art allows for cross cultural engagement and exposure to the breadth and depth of work by Contemporary African artists.”
– LAURA DAY WEBB
ABOUT MONTAGUE CONTEMPORARY | With over a decade of experience living and/or working in over 30 African countries, Montague Contemporary recognizes the importance of changing the narrative of African art and of building a new shared counter-history. By championing unique perspectives and diverse identities in an accessible and engaging way, we aim to foster a new dialogue between audience and artist both locally and abroad. Through innovative shared experiences, international fairs, and dedicated group and solo shows, we hope to continue to challenge the traditional art canons and bring increased exposure to the diverse and nuanced field of emerging contemporary African art. Many of the gallery’s artists have shown as part of biennale’s such as the Venice Biennale, Dakar Biennale, the Kampala Art Biennale, the Kochi Biennale, Lagos Photo, and the Sao Paolo Biennale; the gallery has shown at a variety of art fairs including 1-54 London & NY, AAKA Art Fair Pairs, EXPO Chicago, and SCOPE Art Fair Miami. Gallery artists are also included in the permanent collections of important public collections including The British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, the St. Louis Museum of Art, the Rockefeller Foundation, The Smithsonian Museum of African Art, the Studio Museum Harlem, the Museum of Contemporary Art Lyon, the ZEITZ MOCAA, among many others.
ABOUT LAURA DAY WEBB | Laura Day Webb holds a Master’s in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art and is Director at High Line Nine Galleries in Chelsea. Laura is also an independent curator and art consultant whose practice focuses predominantly outside the Western canon on artists who have historically been overlooked and underrepresented, with a particular eye toward women artists. Recent shows include Visions of the Sea (May 2023, Mikimoto Flagship Store), celebrating Mikimoto’s 130th anniversary and showcasing works by Niyoko Ikuta, Yoshiro Kimura, Osamu Yokoyama, Masaaki Yonemoto, Yoko Togashi, and Takafumi Asakura, We Contain Multitudes (November 2022 – February 2023, NYC Culture Club & High Line Nine), featuring works by Jessica Atieno, Prudence Chimutuwah, Angèle Etoundi Essamba, Muna Malik, Zina Saro-Wiwa, Florence Wangui, and Beatrice Wanjiku, A-FIL-IATIONS (September 2022-October 2022, Montague Contemporary), acclaimed Cameroonian photographer Angèle Etoundi Essamba’s first solo exhibition in New York, and The Art of Resilience (September 2021, High Line Nine) featuring works by Elias Mung’ora, Paul Onditi, Pie Herring, Charlie V. Rose, Anyango Mpinga, Migwa Nthiga, Dennis Muraguri, and Joel Kioko. A portion of sales from The Art of Resilience went to UNESCO world heritage site, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy’s community driven conservation efforts in Northern Kenya.
ABOUT THE PATCHOGUE ARTS COUNCIL | The mission of Patchogue Arts Council is to ambitiously educate, support, and elevate the artists and arts – community on Long Island. This includes artists at all stages of their careers as well as supporting the development of new works and public projects through exhibitions and innovative programming that emphasize community engagement while aiding in the revitalization and sustainability of the community. The Patchogue Arts Council, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose programming supports arts across all of Long Island.
ABOUT MOCA L.I. | Museum of Contemporary Art Long Island (MoCA L.I.) is the exhibition space of the Patchogue Arts Council (PAC).By redefining PAC’s exhibition space from Gallery to Museum, opportunities for the community and the artists we serve grows exponentially. Our primary focuses are to make current and contemporary art accessible to everyone and to serve artists across Long Island. We work to create inclusiveness in all of our opportunities for Long Island’s artistic communities. Through our programming, we support, promote, and encourage early, mid-career, and established artists working in all media and all walks of life.
