News

“With These Hands”: Davidson Reconciles with a History of Exploitation and Enslavement

Written by: Caroline Sillars

May 10th, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHLtLiqvaJ4 Hank Willis Thomas on his commemorative sculpture, With These Hands. In an effort to reconcile Davidson College’s history with slavery, the college has enlisted artist Hank Willis Thomas to create a monumental sculpture called With These Hands. Developed with the help of the architects at Perkins & Will, the work strives to honor the exploited hands of the enslaved laborers who created some of the first buildings on Davidson’s campus. The sculpture will sit at the front of campus, in between Oak and Elm, two of those first buildings, and it will be visible from Main Street. In conjunction...

Written by: Gaby Sanclimenti

May 3rd, 2023

Mark Thomas Gibson (American, b. 1980)No More Q and A, 2020Ink on paper22 x 30 in.Gift of John Andrew MacMahon '95 It is hard for the eyes to focus when looking at Mark Thomas Gibson’s No More Q and A. This cartoon-style drawing features a chaotic tumble of arms and legs that create a blurry, contorted cloud with only the occasional defined line of a reaching hand or a kicking shoe. Intermeshed in the disorienting scene includes objects like falling columns, a broken can of bleach, a jumble of papers, and a strangled American flag in the grip of a...

Written by: Kaiyan Wang

April 26th, 2023

Meet Caroline Yarbrough ‘19, who was a dedicated member of the cross country and track and field teams throughout her four years in college. Now, she is an Associate Cataloguer in the Contemporary Department at Sotheby’s, one of the world’s most renowned auction houses. What might seem like a significant career shift to some, Caroline has found that her experience as an athlete has prepared her for the challenges of working in an auction house. For Caroline, being a part of the track and field team taught her the importance of teamwork, communication, and each team member's unique strengths, which...

Written by: Isabel Smith

April 16th, 2023

This week, we got to talk to Dr. Laurian Bowles for our second installment of "Profs Talk Art," the series where Davidson professors talk about works in the collection of Van Every/Smith Galleries through the lens of their discipline. Dr. Bowles is the Chair of the Anthropology department. Her work in Africana Studies and Cultural Anthropology focuses on visual storytelling, women’s activism, and the visual economies of women’s labor in Ghana and the African Diaspora. She talked about the Nigerian-Swedish-American artist, Mikael Owunna, and his photograph titled 4 Queer African Women in the Snow, from Limitless Africans. Watch the video here...

Written by: Lia Rose Newman

April 14th, 2023

On view: April 13th-21st, 2023 Reception: Friday, April 14th, 4:30pm Artist Statement: “If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots instead of feet.” ~Rachel WolchinEver Since I was six years old, my family has taken a yearly trip to a different country. We wouldn’t do guided tours or get a private driver; instead we would rent a car and find the most secluded places. We’d have a general itinerary, but sometimes we’d just drive around to find places most tourists would never venture to. This made it a very personal and private experience of looking into...

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