The “Channeling Blacks and Blues” exhibit opened Feb. 18 in the Schoenecker Center. Seitu K. Jones’ “She Can C Freedom Painting” is part of the exhibit. (Dom Tritchler/The Crest) 
Jones’ exhibit connects ideas of color, boats and the artist’s involvement in the Twin Cities community. (Dom Trichtler/The Crest) 
The Iverson Center for Faith’s new exhibit called “Who is my Neighbor?” displays this 1885 Gillam Bernhard painting called “Good Samaritan.” (Dom Tritchler/The Crest) 
The “Who is my Neighbor?” exhibit is part of the Hoedeman Gallery of Sacred Art, which produces three collections per year. (Dom Tritchler/The Crest)
Two new art exhibits have made their way to St. Thomas, occupying the John P. Monahan Gallery in the Schoenecker Center and the Hoedeman Gallery of Sacred Art in the Iversen Center for Faith.
The first display, which opened Feb. 18, is titled “Channeling Blacks and Blues.” Created by Seitu K. Jones, it connects ideas of color, boats and the artist’s involvement in the Twin Cities community.
“The way that they painted (the gallery wall) blue, I thought that was so cool, and if you go in, it’s just really interesting; the colors of the exhibit really bring out (Jones’) artwork, and I think it really speaks to a lot of the Black perspective and also just across the world,” said Erin Mabley, a graduate student studying art history and museum studies.
Jones’ art in “Channeling Blacks and Blues” encompasses multiple styles to tie in his “decades-long study of Black boat culture, with a focus on the aesthetics of Blues that shape his practice,” according to the John P. Monahan Gallery website.
Mabley said that Jones’ exhibit connects to Minnesota, because “people like boats,” but his art also has a deeper link to the state.
Jones is a St. Paul-based artist whose work can be found in numerous places around the Twin Cities. He was involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, mainly with the Blues for George street art based on a stencil that he created.
“People could spray paint George Floyd’s face across wherever (they) could. (Jones) did a lot of stuff with that, and it was blue, so I think that he’s really working within blacks and blues, those colors,” Mabley said.
Jones’ artwork generally combines different ways of making art. It features sculptures, paintings, photographs and more, according to the gallery website, and university curator Marria Thompson said that “Channeling Blacks and Blues” represents only part of the artist’s “rich studio practice.”
Thomson said that though Jones’ career is impressive, he has never had a solo exhibition. “Channeling Blacks and Blues” will be his first, and a second will follow at the Minnesota Museum of American Art.
“His works embrace civic engagement and foster critical conversations working towards a more just world; conversations that continue to be extremely relevant,” Thompson said.
The other new exhibit, titled “Who Is My Neighbor?” can be seen in the Iversen Center for Faith as of this January. It focuses on the story of the Good Samaritan, showcasing different works of art surrounding that narrative.
According to the exhibit, in Luke 10:25-37, Jesus was asked by an expert in the law, “Who is my neighbor?” and he responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan. In essence, a man was beaten on the street and two men passed him by, but the third, a Good Samaritan, stopped and took the wounded man to an inn to be cared for.
Jacob Benda, the director of music, liturgy and sacred arts, said that this exhibit is part of the Hoedeman Gallery of Sacred Art, which produces three collections per year with one unifying factor: they allow the viewer to direct themselves toward an encounter with God.
“(The current exhibit) possesses layers of meaning that allow us to imagine the story through a lens of our individual and collective experiences; this exhibit is intended to spark the imagination and facilitate a moment of encounter where one might ask: ‘How can I apply the truth of Jesus’ words to my own life?’” Benda said.
Benda said he hopes viewers will take the message of the Good Samaritan into their own lives to become more loving and self-giving to those they know and to those they do not know and pass along the way.
Benda said that this message is important for the university because although students and staff can be consumed by achieving academic success, it can help people recognize how their gifts and successes can be faced toward a greater good.
“It helps us realize how impactful our actions are not only to ourselves, but to those around us,” Benda said.
“Channeling Blacks and Blues” will be on exhibition through May 23 and “Who Is My Neighbor” will be available until May 1.
Bridget Schmid can be reached at schm1520@stthomas.edu.
