Arts and Entertainment

'Conjure Collective' opening at Borland Project Space Nov. 6

Credit: Conjure Collective All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — "Conjure Collective" — an experimental group bringing together four artists from the Penn State community whose artwork explores ideas surrounding the sacred, the profane, ritual, and spirituality in the African Diaspora. The group uses art to examine ways black women across the Black Atlantic engage in acts of conjuring as both a social and sacred practice. The work explores the making of memory and forging cherished spaces that are embedded in the everyday workings of black social life. This exhibition considers the various methodologies used by artists to examine the production of shared social memory and to cultivate new modes of representing diasporic cultural practices.

The exhibition will contain four unique and yet interconnected displays: a short film, photo-based weavings, paintings, and photographs. Each work relates to the central theme of spirituality in black women.  

Collective Conjure will be on view from Nov 6 to Dec. 7. The artists will host an opening reception with a salon conversation as well as an artmaking workshop.  

Public programming includes:

Opening reception & salon talk

Tuesday, Nov. 6, 4 to 5:30 p.m. Q&A at 6 p.m.

The opening reception and discussion, held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6 will explore artistic processes and the ways in which black women take charge of their stories, telling them from their own perspectives.  

Art practice and creating workshop

Tuesday, Nov. 27, 1 to 3:30 p.m.

The workshop, held from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, will guide visitors in the creation of their own artistic responses with the same materials used by the Collective Conjure members: watercolors, pigeon mesh used for sculpting, collage materials, and drawing paper. Workshop attendees will be invited to create artwork that signifies the taking of control of one’s own narrative and creating cherished memories in the process. The artwork visitors create will remain on view through the end of the exhibition.

About the Borland Project Space

The Borland Project Space seeks to showcase vivacious research culture of Penn State's College of Arts and Architecture. With this notion we move beyond traditional exhibitions, performances, and scholarly programming to expose the processes and procedures of “arts research,” which viewers seldom see. Home to several residences and projects throughout the academic year, the space is open for visitors from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, throughout the academic year. For additional information on current and upcoming events, please visit our website, borlandprojectspace.psu.edu.

Last Updated November 7, 2018