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New exhibition opening Friday at CU Art Museum created by socially engaged artists-in-residence to honor Black girls and women

Like the 鈥淢ona Lisa鈥� whom she mirrors, 鈥淟ona Misa鈥� is keeping her secrets. Her expression is unknowable, and a million thoughts could be swirling behind her calm eyes.

She is a testament to the growth and evolution of her young artist, Kiana Gatling of Denver鈥攁 recognition of talent and value, of being an artist whose work is deserving of gallery walls.

That鈥檚 not always an easy evolution for women, and especially for Black women, says Charlie Billingsley, who recognizes the profound power in a woman declaring 鈥淚 am worthy.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of our goals here,鈥� Billingsley explains, 鈥渢o tell Black women, 鈥榃hat you create is good enough. What you create is amazing. You are amazing.鈥欌��

The 鈥渉ere鈥� is "We CU: A Visual Celebration of Black Womanhood, Presence, and Connectedness," a new exhibition opening with a celebration from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Friday at the University of Colorado Art Museum; it will be on view through July 13.听鈥淲e CU鈥� is created, curated and presented by Billingsley and Von Ross, founders of the in Denver and inaugural artists in the Socially Engaged Artists-In-Residence program created by the CU Art Museum and University Libraries.

鈥淲hen we say, 鈥榃e see you,鈥� what we鈥檙e saying to Black women is 鈥榳e see you beautiful,鈥欌�� Billingsley explains. 鈥淲e see you amazing. We see you talented. We see you courageous. We鈥檙e saying to Black girls and Black women, 鈥榃e want you to see yourselves as we see you.鈥欌��

鈥榊ou don鈥檛 have to be what you see鈥�

One afternoon last week, with the ingredients of the exhibit fully formed in their minds and on paper, but in progress throughout the exhibition space, Billingsley and Ross consider the 鈥淟ona Misa.鈥� Her 4-foot by 5-foot canvas is propped against a far wall and the two women stand chins on fists contemplating her.

鈥淪he needs her own space,鈥� Ross observes, and Billingsley nods.

鈥淏ut is that wall too big?鈥� Billingsley asks, pointing to an expanse of blank-for-now wall, against which an assortment of empty frames lean. Some of the frames are very old and reminiscent of ones they came across in the University Libraries archives鈥攐ne of the many benefits of being artists in residence, Ross says.

鈥淲e get to see all these amazing art works, go through the archives and have access to these collections,鈥� Billingsley says. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 another thing we want to accomplish with 鈥榃e CU,鈥� because a lot of times Black people don鈥檛 have this kind of access, so we want to show people that they belong in these spaces.鈥�

Billingsley and Ross are considering whether to hang 鈥淟ona Misa鈥� by herself or to surround her with empty frames鈥攖he frames being a motif that extends from the Museum for Black Girls.

鈥淭he frames are empty because you don鈥檛 have to conform to what society tells you (that) you should be,鈥� Ross explains. 鈥淥ftentimes, Black girls don鈥檛 feel that the way they are is OK. They feel like they have to change, like they have to be different, so we鈥檙e saying that you don鈥檛 have to be what you see.鈥�

鈥榃e honor you鈥�

The theme of authenticity runs through the exhibit, which Billingsley and Ross envision as a home. The various rooms and artifacts of home are represented 鈥渂ecause home is where you鈥檙e your most authentic self,鈥� Billingsley says. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to talk a certain way or dress a certain way. With this exhibit, we鈥檙e inviting you into our homes.鈥�

Against one wall, there鈥檚 a low green couch encased in plastic, because it鈥檚 the good couch and the plastic is how you keep it from getting dirty, Ross says. Against another wall is a salon chair with a clear plastic dryer hood, the kind under which many women have spent many hours.

鈥淎s Black women, these are the artifacts of our lives,鈥� Ross says. 鈥淲e want there to be that recognition and we want to say that these things have value. They matter.鈥�

The exhibition highlights words and quotations that contextualize and exemplify the countless ways to be a Black woman in the world 鈥渁nd to show that words matter,鈥� Billingsley says. 鈥淲e want to show how impactful words are on Black women.鈥�

The flow of the exhibition will take visitors to a dining room, on which places are set for some of the many, many roles Black women fulfill, and then to a room filled with flowers.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 our 鈥榯hank you鈥� to Black girls and women,鈥� Billingsley says. 鈥淭his is our garden, and as they come through this is how we say, 鈥榃e honor you.鈥欌��

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