Getting to the Root


Feb 4 to March 7 | Harry Wood Gallery

Opening reception | Feb 4 | 6 pm. 

Community Reception | Feb 8 | 12 to 4 p.m.

“Getting to the Root” is the curatorial endeavor of Amber C. Coleman, Ph.D., Jazmine Beatty, Tehan Ketema, and Olivia Richardson about Black hair culture in the United States and untangling the social construction of “good” hair in our society. As Black women, we, the curators, acknowledge how our subjectivity informs the curation of this show and our embodied understanding of having and caring for Black hair. Caring for our hair is a necessary element of our everyday lives which holds stories of how we live, who we are, how we dream and how we remember. Roots are essential to survival. Although we cannot see them, they create a foundation beneath us. Our existence as Black people has deep ties that connect us through pain - but also joy, community and life. “Getting to the Root” is dedicated to Black girls, women and femmes who have ever felt less than. This exhibition is grounded in the intersectional struggles of race, identity, beauty and self-worth in our racialized society to facilitate critical practices and a deeper cultural understanding. Reflecting a practice of care, we hope to contribute to changing the negative social and cultural perceptions associated with Black culture at large. By showcasing the work of Black artists, scholars and creatives who analyze, embrace and celebrate the beauty of Black hair, the exhibition hopes to spark necessary dialogue and facilitate engagement with the hair-stories in Black culture.

Granville Carroll, "Omniscient," 2024, Archival Inkjet Print, 24"x 30".