Carrie Mae Weems Debuts Jazz-Inspired Collage at Obama Presidential Center
At the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, a new installation titled 'The Cool Blue Wind' by artist Carrie Mae Weems debuts on the top floor of the museum's tower. This work is part of a broader exhibition showcasing 28 distinctive pieces by 30 different artists across the center's 19-acre grounds. Notable contributors include Mark Bradford, Maya Lin, and Julie Mehretu. Virginia Shore oversaw the initiative through the Art in Embassies program. Opening to the public on June 19, Weems' collage celebrates themes of democracy and pays tribute to various cultural icons, while her collaboration with musicians Craig Harris and Vijay Iyer results in 'The Obama Suite.'
Key facts
- Carrie Mae Weems created 'The Cool Blue Wind,' a 29-piece photo collage for the Obama Presidential Center.
- The collage is installed on the top floor of the museum tower.
- The center has 28 site-specific works by 30 artists, including Mark Bradford, Maya Lin, Julie Mehretu, and Richard Hunt.
- The commissions were organized by Virginia Shore from the State Department's Art in Embassies program.
- The Obama Presidential Center opens to the public on June 19.
- Weems is a MacArthur fellow and the first Black woman to have a retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum.
- The collage uses jazz as a metaphor for democracy, featuring images from the 54th Massachusetts Regiment to Civil Rights marchers.
- Weems composed 'The Obama Suite,' a 40-minute musical piece with Craig Harris and Vijay Iyer.
Entities
Artists
- Carrie Mae Weems
- Butch Morris
- Mark Bradford
- Maya Lin
- Julie Mehretu
- Richard Hunt
- Idris Khan
- Alison Saar
- Jeffrey Gibson
- Craig Harris
- Vijay Iyer
- Louise Bernard
- Virginia Shore
Institutions
- Obama Presidential Center
- Obama Foundation
- Guggenheim Museum
- State Department's Art in Embassies program
- MacArthur Foundation
- Louvre
- Tate Modern
Locations
- Chicago
- United States
- South Side (Chicago)