An Interview with Sophia Abrams

UW ART CURATOR TALKS BLACK ART, UPCOMING EXHIBITS AND INSPIRATIONS

Written by Rachel Hale, Culture Editor Sophia Abrams photographed by Elyza Parker

Over the course of her time at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, senior Sophia Abrams has made elevating Black voices a core focus of her work. As a student historian at the University Archives since the fall of 2020, Abrams spent this year interviewing 18 Black artists who graduated between 1969 and now for her oral history project, “Black Expressions: 50 Years of Black Student Artists.” The exhibit is one of four Abrams has curated this year based on Black art research, including her shows “Black Expressions Ephemera,” which will reside in the Kohler Art Library, and “Camouflage and Cologne,” which highlights the work of UW artist Taj Matumbi. Outside of campus, her current exhibit, “Time(is): An Exploration of Black Art in Madison,” highlights the works of four Black artists residing in Madison.

Previously, Abrams worked last fall as one of the curators of “In Transit,” an exhibit that took themes from the mumblecore film genre to focus on the use of art for healing. Outside of her work as a curator, she has partnered with Little Picassos, an art enrichment program for low-income families in Madison, and assists with documentaries at PBS Wisconsin, where she is co-producing a short documentary with Elizabeth Parker building off of the Time(is) exhibit. After graduating with degrees in journalism and African American studies this spring, Abrams plans to work in film in New York City.

Recently, Moda Magazine sat down with Abrams to talk about her goals and the importance of illuminating Black history in art. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Moda Magazine: Could you speak to the importance of highlighting artists beyond campus? Sophia Abrams: With the “Time(is)” exhibit, I wanted to focus on Black artists beyond UW, and the gallery coordinators were really helpful in making it an open experience. The other aspect of the show was to facilitate community amongst Black artists because no one knew each other before, and I hope that the community is sustainable in some capacity. I’ve gotten some good feedback from people like “thanks for introducing me to these people,” or “thanks for giving me this space” because a big part of practicing art is that you do need spaces to show your work in exhibitions. I guess if I can be of help to better someone’s picture as a working artist, I’ll happily do what I can.

MM: “Time(is)” will be displayed at a public library. How is accessibility important to your work? SA: When I was at the Brooklyn Museum last summer, one question that always came up was kind of like, “what’s the role of the museum? Is the museum accessible?” Museum directors are reckoning with that right now. Some museums are free, others are not—there’s that barrier, but also, people just don’t feel art spaces are for them, because they see it as this elite space for the upper white society. I’ve always been very comfortable going to museums, but I know that’s not the case for everyone. So making a free, accessible space in the library at the Bubbler is a great way to ease people into art, because you’re at a library, which I think is the epitome of a free space for knowledge.

An Interview with Sophia Abrams

. MM: How has your work on Black art changed your own notions of identity? SA: I don’t know if things have changed, but rather reaffirmed this notion that the intersection between Blackness and art can be essentially anything because everyone’s art is different. This is cliché, but we shouldn’t put people in boxes. We should let people make their art, and people’s art can be whatever they want it to be.

MM: How have your three areas of study intersected in your work throughout college? SA: Journalism gave me a way to read up on contemporary things related to the arts, and also just to become a better writer and communicator. And I think Afro-Am was fit for my historical background, and I’m also a big reader, so it paired well. The courses I took helped teach me about becoming a critical thinker, refining your work and picking things from an editing perspective—those all come together. I think each major has done exactly what it needed to do for me.

MM: You mentioned your interests in film and other art forms. How did you come to be a curator? SA: I got more into curating last year, and I think it was just the logical next step. I’m like, “I have all this research on Black art, I have to put it up in a gallery, therefore, I’ll inhabit the role of curator.” And then, there are parallels to film, since it’s very much an editing process and a storytelling process as well. There’s also like this whole aspect of the crew and the community, it’s very collaborative. It’s very hard to curate or produce something by yourself, and I honestly think that things are better with collaboration.

MM: Where do you pull inspiration from on a day-today basis? SA: Honestly, I love Instagram, just to see artists and what they’re posting. In terms of artists, I’ve always thought Yoko Ono has been very influential in terms of who she is as a person. There’s also the artist Kara Walker, I discovered her in high school and she’s very influential. From my project, there’s an artist named Jay Katelansky whose work I really cling to. She uses a lot of texts and phrases but also has done conceptual work. I’m also a huge Greta Gerwig fan.

“Time(is): An Exploration of Black Art in Madison” is available for viewing at the Diane Endres Ballweg Gallery on the third floor of Central Library until July 1. On UW’s campus, “Camouflage and Cologne: A Taj Matumbi Solo Show” is on display until May 12 at the School of Education Gallery, “Black Expressions: 50 Years of Black Student Artists at UW-Madison” will show until a day later at Memorial Union’s 1925 Gallery and “Black Expressions Ephemera” is on display until July 30 at Kohler Art Library. ■