The Woods Before Sunrise at Albuquerque Museum Reimagines American Landscape Through Nine Black Artists
The Albuquerque Museum will host "The Woods Before Sunrise: Environment and Place in New Mexico's Black Contemporary" from June 20 to October 18, 2026. This exhibition showcases nine Black contemporary artists who explore themes of American landscape and place. Co-curated by Nikesha Breeze, who also contributes an essay titled “The Land is Not Neutral,” the exhibit features works from artists including Paula Wilson, known for her pieces in Carrizozo, and Karsten Creightney, celebrated for his collage "Black Hills." The title is inspired by a quote from George Washington Carver, emphasizing nature’s beauty.
Key facts
- The Woods Before Sunrise: Environment and Place in New Mexico’s Black Contemporary runs June 20–October 18, 2026, at the Albuquerque Museum.
- The exhibition features nine contemporary Black artists engaging with American landscape and place.
- Nikesha Breeze is a co-curator and participating artist; their essay “The Land is Not Neutral” appears in the catalogue.
- Breeze’s 2021 performance Stages of Tectonic Blackness: Re:turn: Re:Member involves burying and unburying collaborators in black soil.
- Paula Wilson lives and works in Carrizozo, New Mexico; her works include Naturalist’s Collection and Living Calendar (2025).
- Karsten Creightney’s Black Hills (2018) is a collage of cut-and-pasted landscape paintings and photos of South Dakota.
- The exhibition title is taken from a quotation by George Washington Carver: “Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.”
- Artists in the show include Paula Wilson, Nikesha Breeze, Rein Whitt-Pritchette, Ron Adams, Karsten Creightney, and Maurice Burns.
Entities
Artists
- Nikesha Breeze
- Paula Wilson
- Rein Whitt-Pritchette
- Ron Adams
- Karsten Creightney
- Maurice Burns
- John Gast
- George Washington Carver
Institutions
- Albuquerque Museum
- Southwest Contemporary
- Hand Graphics
- Gerald Peters Contemporary
- Francis Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College
Locations
- Albuquerque
- United States
- New Mexico
- Carrizozo
- Santa Fe
- South Dakota
- Black Hills