April 4 – May 18, 2003
Renée Stout, Point of View, 1994. Mixed media
Renée Stout, The Scream at 42, 2001. Acrylic and oil on board.
Readers, Advisors, and Storefront Churches explores the cultural, spiritual, and political dimensions of the mysterious world of Renée Stout. Aspects of conjuration, root work, folklore, and music entwine to create Stout's spiritually powerful and communicative work. Her art invites viewers to join her on a personal journey. Fictional narratives with imaginary characters accompany Stout along her path. This duality of reality and fiction adds to the work's mysterious aura. As the artist says, "I am trying to create art that helps me put together what are only fragments, to try to create a whole, so that I can gain a better understanding of my own existence. In doing this I hope that others, no matter where they come from, will realize some answers about their own existence."
Readers, Advisors, and Storefront Churches is organized in cooperation with the University of Missouri-Kansas City Belger Center for Creative Studies and the John and Maxine Belger Family Foundation. We are grateful for their assistance in bringing this extraordinary exhibition to Chicago. We appreciate as well the support of the Vincentian Endowment Fund, as well as our co-sponsors in the DePaul University Women’s Center, the Center for Diaspora Studies, and the Art Department.