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Sonya Clark: Monumental Cloth, The Flag We Should Know

01.31.2020 - 03.13.2020

The Artspace is pleased to present Sonya Clark: Monumental Cloth, The Flag We Should Know, a timely project by textile and social practice artist Sonya Clark, focuses on the seemingly unremarkable dishcloth that played a crucial role in ending the Civil War in the spring of 1865. Pressed into service as the South’s flag of surrender at Appomattox, Va., this cloth became known as the Confederate Flag of Truce.  Featuring six new works created for the exhibition, Monumental Cloth, The Flag We Should Know reimagines the Truce Flag and invites us to reconsider the stories our inherited monuments and symbols present. This exhibition continues Clark’s ongoing exploration of the legacy of cultural symbols and serves as a timely catalyst for dialogue about the scars of the Confederacy and America’s ability to acknowledge and reckon with history, social justice, institutional racism, and racial inequality.

Sonya Clark, in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia.
Sonya Clark, in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia.
Sonya Clark, in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia.
Sonya Clark, in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia.
Sonya Clark, in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia.
Sonya Clark, in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia.
Sonya Clark, in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia.

Upcoming Public Programs

Hoffman Visiting Artist Lecture Presents Sonya Clark: Artspace StudioThursday, March 5
7-8 p.m.

(Doors open to the public at 6:30 p.m. and seating in the Artspace Studio is limited. Overflow seating will be available in the first-floor gallery.)

The Artspace is pleased to host Sonya Clark as the Kansas City Art Institute’s Hoffman Visiting Artist Lecture, part of a program of special events accompanying the exhibition, Monumental Cloth, The Flag We Should Know.

This annual public lecture is supported by the Hoffman Visiting Artist Endowment at the Kansas City Art Institute, established by Sharon and John Hoffman to bring nationally recognized artists who focus on contemporary art practices to KCAI and Kansas City for an annual talk and to engage with students and faculty. Previous Hoffman Visiting Artist Speakers include Titus Kaphar and Joyce C. Scott.

Introduction to Weaving and Loom Sampling Workshop
Saturday, February 29, 1-2:30 p.m.
No previous weaving experience is required, but space is limited to 20 participants. Please RSVP to Marcus Cain at mdcain@kcai.edu.

TNT (The Noon Thing) Gallery Talks
Fridays, February 14 & 21
Noon-time public engagement series offering additional context to the exhibition on view.

For more details about the Artspace’s public programs, or to schedule a group visit, call 816-802- 3571. Follow us on Instagram @hrblockartspace and on Facebook

Organized by The Fabric Workshop and Museum, the exhibition makes the first stop on its national tour in Kansas City. Preceding its presentation at the Artspace, the exhibition has garnered critical praise and has been featured in such publications and sources as Artforum, Hyperallergic, Artnet, Bomb Magazine, Sculpture Magazine, American Craft Council, Textile Society of America, CNN, The New York Times, Forbes, Observer, Brooklyn Rail and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Support for Sonya Clark: Monumental Cloth, The Flag We Should Know is provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Amherst College, Agnes Gund, the National Endowment for the Arts, Goya Contemporary Gallery & Goya-Girl Press, Rotasa Fund, John Meyerhoff, M.D. and Lenel Srochi-Meyerhoff and Judith S. Weisman. Additional funding and support for the exhibition at the Artspace is provided by the Kansas City Art Institute, Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts, Margaret Silva, Hoffman Visiting Artist Endowment at KCAI, Missouri Arts Council – a state agency, Kansas City Weavers Guild, Boulevard Brewing Company, and private contributions. The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue Sonya Clark: Monumental Cloth, The Flag We Should Know.