Syracuse Sun

Internationally renowned artist Carrie Mae Weems will be working with students from the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University while participating in an international arts conference in Italy. Weems will deliver a public lecture titled “Resistance as an Act of Love” during her visit to Florence on April 17, where she will also review the work of students in the studio arts program.

According to the article, Weems will be a panelist at the Black Portraitures conference in Venice on April 20 and 21. The conference, co-sponsored by Syracuse University, is in its 14th year and is organized in conjunction with the Venice Biennale. This year's theme, "Shifting Paradigms," aims to bring together thought leaders in the arts from Africa and the African Diaspora.

Students from the program who will be attending the conference include Anastasia Cardona, Sidney Hanson, Rumini Nguyen, Mark Casadevall, Madeleine Herberger, Sarah Mednick, Sarah Skalski, and Alissar Youssef. Weems will be participating in a discussion on "Black Realities through Digital Media," while faculty member Jonathan Nelson will be on the "Radical Curricula" panel.

Founder of the Black Portraitures conference, Deborah Willis, expresses that the gathering will delve into various themes such as memoir and memory studies, migration stories, and art practices. The event aims to expand narratives and reimagine ideas within the artistic community.