KENNESAW, Ga. | Jul 15, 2024

In April, Gibson represented the United States at the 2024 Venice Biennale, the “Olympics of Art”

The Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art, a unit of Kennesaw State University’s School of Art and Design, is pleased to host an extraordinary exhibition featuring the works of Jeffrey Gibson, one of today's foremost artists. The exhibition, Jeffrey Gibson: They Teach Love, From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, will showcase over 35 captivating objects spanning 15 years of Gibson's prolific career. The free exhibition runs from August 27 to December 7, 2024. 

Gibson, an artist of Mississippi Choctaw and Cherokee heritage, was chosen to represent the United States in April 2024 at the Venice Biennale, an internationally renowned art exhibition held every two years in Italy. The event highlights contemporary art from around the world, and it serves as a platform for cultural exchange. “Having followed Jeffrey’s career over the past several years, I’m thrilled to congratulate him for this exemplary and well-deserved recognition as one of the country’s most lauded artists,” said ARTnews Top 200 Art Collector Jordan D. Schnitzer. “I feel very fortunate to own more than 50 works by Gibson, which are being exhibited together in this powerful exhibition at Kennesaw State University.” 

Gibson's work celebrates the rich cultural heritage of his Cherokee and Choctaw roots while seamlessly blending elements of modernism and contemporary popular and queer culture. His multimedia practice represents a vibrant call for empowerment within queer and Indigenous communities, promoting strength, joy, and resilience. 

The works showcased in the Zuckerman Museum of Art (ZMA) exhibition delve into Gibson's exploration of radical transformation, both in objects and people, as he takes viewers on a journey through printmaking, photography, painting, sculpture, and contemporary adornment in fashion. The display also includes recent works exploring performance, installation, and video, revealing the artist's foray into new expressive forms.

A highlight of the exhibition is the centerpiece work, “To Name An Other,” an immersive installation consisting of 51 screen-printed elk hide drums and 50 wearable garments. Originally commissioned as a performance by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, the installation marks a pivotal moment in Gibson's career, where he embraces collective-based projects and performances to engage the communities he collaborates with. Through this interactive approach, Gibson seeks to foster affinity and decolonize our minds and institutions, pointing the way toward a more inclusive and harmonious future.

“We are truly honored to have the opportunity to share Gibson’s visionary work with our KSU community and the Metro Atlanta area,” said Cynthia Nourse Thompson, Director of Curatorial Affairs at the ZMA.

Born in 1972 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Gibson has traversed major urban centers across the world. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1995 and a Master of Arts in painting at the Royal College of Art, London, in 1998. As a citizen of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and of Cherokee heritage, Gibson's work is deeply rooted in his identity and experiences.

This traveling exhibition is organized by the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Washington State University and is curated by Ryan Hardesty, Executive Director. Support for this exhibition and related education and outreach programs has been made possible by a grant from the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation. 

The free exhibition runs from Aug. 27 to Dec. 4. For more information, please visit us online. Learn more about the School of Art and Design.