This winter and spring, Knoxville will find itself at a most remarkable and important intersection of art, music, opera, literature, and cultural education. At the center of that intersection is the life and art of Beauford Delaney, an African American artist born in Knoxville. A collection of events operating under the umbrella of The Delaney Project seeks to not only promote the art and public awareness of the artist, but also to establish Knoxville as a resource for Delaney studies and information.
Launching the upcoming series of events is a major exhibition at the Knoxville Museum of Art opening on Friday, February 7, entitled Beauford Delaney and James Baldwin: Through the Unusual Door. The exhibition totals over 50 paintings, works on paper, and unpublished archival material that explores the 38-year relationship between painter Beauford Delaney and writer James Baldwin. The exhibition makes use of the KMA’s growing Delaney holdings, as well as works from public and private collections around the country. The KMA’s Stephen Wicks is the curator of the exhibition, which is accompanied by a color-illustrated catalogue published by the University of Tennessee Press. The exhibition runs through May 10.
In addition to the KMA’s Delaney exhibition, Marble City Opera will offer the world premiere of Shadowlight, music by Larry Delinger and libretto by Emily Anderson, for two performances on February 28 and 29 at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center.
“Art, light, and friendship tell the story of celebrated African-American painter Beauford Delaney, who left the segregated South for the heady freedom of the Harlem Renaissance and Bohemian Paris. Famous singers, actors, writers, and artists adored him, Foremost among them his ‘spiritual son,’ writer James Baldwin, who credits his beloved mentor with teaching him how to live, learn, and see.”
Marble City Opera Tickets and Information
Other major events under the Delaney Project umbrella include readings at the Knox County Library, TV programming on East Tennessee PBS, an international symposium presented by the University of Tennessee Humanities Center, and many others. Click here for a complete list.
