AUC Visual Arts Program organizes ‘Robert Colescott: The Cairo Years in Context’ exhibition on Feb.11

 

 

“ Distinguished guests, masah l’kheir, good evening.  I am delighted to be with you virtually to honor American artist Robert Colescott” Cohen said at the beginning of his virtual speech.

​Cohen thanked President Ricciardone, the Tahrir Cultural Center, and the American University in Cairo for their partnership on this unique exhibit. 

 

“ Warm thanks as well to the exhibit’s curators, Terri Ginsberg and Duncan MacDonald, for your vision and decision to open this art exhibit during Black History Month” Cohen added.

 

US ambassador to Egypt said that this exhibition offers a special opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Black Americans to American culture.    

​“Robert Colescott’s story -- as a teacher, a veteran of World War II, an artist, and a world traveler -- is extraordinary.  When he decided to move abroad, Colescott chose Egypt, and he became an artist-in-residence at the American Research Center in 1964.  The same year I was born.  This experience impacted him so greatly that he returned in 1967 to teach at the American University in Cairo, where he influenced students, artists, and faculty and curated AUC’s first art exhibition” Cohen   recounted.

Visiting this country’s most impressive monuments, Colescott took in the glories of Egyptian history and culture.  

 

“This brought a changed perspective to his subsequent work in the studio and helped shape his thinking on civil rights in the United States” Cohen added.

 

Cohen said that the close relationships he developed with Egyptian artists and cultural figures undoubtedly impacted Colescott, as he said, “I spent a couple of years in Egypt and was influenced by the narrative form of Egyptian art...  I think that excited me about some other things, some of the ideas about race and culture in [my] own country; I wanted to say something about it.”

​Well, Colescott did indeed say something about it.  He went on to repurpose imagery from conventional American narratives and challenged audiences to consider new contexts.  One example is his 1975 painting, “George Washington Carver Crossing the Delaware: Page from an American History Textbook.”  The source, German-American painter Emmanuel Leutze’s 1851 painting, “Washington Crossing the Delaware,” is familiar to most Americans.  Leutze’s painting depicts a criticalmoment in the American Revolution, when then-General George Washington crossed the Delaware River in a surprise attack.  Colescott’spainting substitutes America’s first president with George Washington Carver, a former slave and distinguished agricultural scientist.  

​In the United States, we celebrate Black History Month every February.  This exhibit, which highlights Colescott’s contribution to the American civil rights movement, could not be more timely.  As we strive to share America’s history and story with Egyptians, we do so with the objective of continually elevating the narratives, experiences, and contributions of all Americans, and of acknowledging the struggles for inclusion and equality of black, indigenous, and other people of color in the United States. Our work on this continues, and it is work we must take most seriously, as President Biden has said.

Art is a critical tool allowing audiences to grapple with deep, challenging messages.  It encourages exploration of new perspectives.  It can spark social discourse and catalyze change, as Colescott’s paintings and life work demonstrated.

​Colescott’s impact on the civil rights movement in America and on art history derived from his friendships and shared experiences with Egyptian friends and colleagues.  These types of interactions are fundamental to the U.S. government’s ongoing partnerships in Egypt in almost every sector – from the cultural to the educational, to the economic, and to the military spheres.  As we work to nurture deeper connections between Egyptians and Americans.  

 

 

 

It is worth mentioning that Matthew Weseley is an independent art historian based in New York City.

 

He holds a B.A. in art history from Stanford University, an M.A. in education from Smith College, and an M.A. in art history from the University of California, Davis. He is co-curator of the first full-scale retrospective of Robert Colescott’s work, “Art and Race Matters,” organized by the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati in 2019. He is currently at work on a monograph on the art of Robert Colescott.

 

 

 

Attendees were required to wear a face mask at all times when inside the Margo Veillon Gallery or when in proximity to others.