About the Exhibition

The Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design and Indigo Arts Alliance are proud to present Visions for our Future; Echoes of our Past: Dianne Smith, Nyugen E. Smith, and Carl Joe Williams, curated by Jordia Benjamin, Deputy Director and Ashley Page '20, Studio and Program Coordinator of Indigo Arts Alliance. Indigo Arts Alliance is a Black-led non-profit organization that offers multi-faceted Artists in Residency Programs, dedicated to the professional development and amplification of Black and Brown artists. The exhibition presents the work of three previous residents; Dianne Smith, Nyugen E. Smith, and Carl Joe Williams. Continuing their exploration of material, media, and community that emerged throughout their residencies, the exhibition offers a perspective into the lives, histories and experience of Black/Brown culture and communities that are historically siloed, suppressed, and traditionally removed from the canon of art history. These artists are examining, deconstructing, and re-inventing new ways of making in order to accurately reflect global communities. It is our hope that our Black/Brown audiences continue to see themselves; their community and stories as valid, honored and valued. Exemplified by the works of Dianne, Nyugen, and Carl is our belief that art, along with active community engagement, is imperative to manifest change.

Visions for our Future; Echoes of our Past: Dianne Smith, Nyugen E. Smith, and Carl Joe Williams, is curated by Jordia Benjamin and Ashley Page ‘20 of Indigo Arts Alliance, and organized with the support of the Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design. The exhibition is generously funded in part by The Crewe Foundation, and by USI Insurance, Hanover Insurance, and Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare.