Artist Kehinde Wiley to speak at Moss Arts Center April 21
Among today’s most innovative and successful contemporary painters, Kehinde Wiley is known throughout the world for his vivid portraits of urban black youth, redefining them within the context of art history and society. Wiley will be giving a talk on Monday, April 21 at 5:30 p.m.. The illustrated slide talk is free and open to the public.
The event will be held in the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Moss Arts Center’s Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall.
In his first-ever talk in Virginia, Wiley speaks about the scope and meaning of his work in what has been one of the most remarkable artistic careers of recent times. He approaches individuals in the street and places them into the role of aristocracy through his art.
His work is also part of a current exhibition of portraits in the Moss Art Center, located in the Ruth C. Horton Gallery.
Wiley’s recent series of portraits of African-American women was the subject of the film, “Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace,” which won a juried award for best documentary short at the 2014 South By Southwest Film Festival.
Wiley earned a Master of Arts from Yale and has become internationally known for his work. He has been featured in the Washington Post, New York Magazine, GQ, and the Huffington Post and Elton John, Lance Armstrong, Venus Williams, and Neil Patrick Harris are among the buyers of his work.
Virginia Tech’s School of Visual Arts and the Center for the Arts along with the support of support from the Women and Minority Artists and Scholars Lecture Series are bringing the notable artist to campus.
Parking for the Moss Arts Center is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street. Virginia Tech faculty and staff possessing a valid Virginia Tech parking permit can enter and exit the garage free of charge. Event parking for visitors is $5. Event passes may be purchased in advance through the Center for the Arts box office or when entering the garage on event evenings. Limited street parking is also available. Parking on Alumni Mall is free on weekdays after 5 p.m. and on weekends.
