Some artists interpreted the “momentum” theme quite literally, Winter said. In a panel from a series titled “Migration” by Jacob Lawrence, groups of people move, backpacks and bags in hand, from one side of the canvas to another, a reference to the 20th-century Great Migration that saw Black Americans fleeing the Jim Crow South for cities in the North, Midwest and West. In Trinh Mai’s “And we shall come forth as gold,” a child rides on a swing of red thread, poised to travel from one canvas to another; shadows of goldfinches on each canvas represent the immigrant ancestors whose sacrifices paved the way for the child’s endless opportunities. 

In other works, Winter said, artists explore momentum in more abstract ways. In the life-size painting “Flavor Wherever I Go” by Spencer Evans, a man who appears cheerful while walking down the street is surrounded by dark navy paint strokes, a symbol of the tension between Black Americans’ inner and outer selves. 

“It’s this celebration of anguish and self-expression and pushing through whatever might be ahead of you,” Winter said of Evans’ piece. “In so many ways, it encapsulates everything we’re exploring in this exhibition: forward movement, backward movement and what it means to live in a world where both kinds of movement are happening at the same time.”

Spotlighting local and far-flung artists

Evans is one of several Rhode Island artists whose work is included in “Momentum” thanks to funds from a recent Mellon Foundation grant to CSREA. Other local artists featured in the exhibition include Jordan Seaberry, a painter and Rhode Island School of Design graduate; Jiyoung Chung, who creates mulberry paper using a traditional Korean hand-felting method; and Jonathan Pitts-Wiley, a documentarian and photographer who also directs Mixed Magic Theatre in Pawtucket.

Winter said many of the local artists plan to come to campus for workshops, talks and more in the coming months, allowing them to collaborate with, teach and learn from students and scholars at Brown.

Also included in the exhibition are two pieces by Mumia Abu-Jamal, a political activist who was convicted of murder and is now serving a life sentence in a Pennsylvania prison. A painting titled “Watercolor depicting capoeira” and a musical piece titled “Vampire Nation” are two among many pieces in a sweeping, campus-wide exhibition on Abu-Jamal and the impact the American carceral system has had on millions of lives.

“Looking at the capoeira piece, there’s so much dynamism and movement,” Winter said. “To think that came from someone who spent decades in a 6-by-9-foot cell — it shows that momentum isn’t just physical, that it can also be emotional and spiritual. It definitely benefits from some close and quiet study.”

Study closely, study briefly; visit once, visit several times — Winter emphasized that community members are welcome to see and interpret “Momentum” however they like. 

“The center has always thought of art as a part of its thinking and practice,” Winter said. “The exhibition started as a way to visually represent all these varied ideas and insights that come from CSREA’s research. Some community members might find it more gratifying to view an art exhibition than to listen to a talk or attend a workshop. We want to make sure that anyone who wants to engage with topics of race and ethnicity can find a way to do that here.”

“Momentum” runs through August 2024 at the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America at 96 Waterman St. in Providence. The exhibition is free and open to the public by appointment; to set up a viewing time, community members are invited to contact CSREA staff at [email protected].