The Smokehouse Associates Writers Forum

The Smokehouse Associates Writers Forum: Eric Booker, Charles L. Davis II, Ashley James, and James Trainor in Conversation
December 8, 2022
Storefront for Art and Architecture (97 Kenmare Street, New York, NY 10012)
To celebrate the publication of Smokehouse Associates, the editor, Eric Booker, and contributing writers Charles L. Davis II, Ashley James, and James Trainor, will be in conversation at Storefront for Art and Architecture. While the first event in this programmatic series featured the Smokehouse artists in conversation, this second event will focus on the writers of the new publication and seek to contextualize Smokehouse within larger histories of public art, abstraction, and architecture. Each writer will discuss their contributions to the book, providing entry points into their individual artistic or academic practices in the process.
From 1968 to 1970, the Smokehouse Associates transformed Harlem with vibrant, community-oriented, abstract murals and sculptures. Established by William T. Williams with Melvin Edwards, Guy Ciarcia, and Billy Rose, Smokehouse grew to encompass a range of creative practitioners united around the revolutionary potential of public art. Though relatively unknown today, Smokehouse was ambitious in its scale, community engagement, and interaction with the built environment. Smokehouse Associates provides the first critical examination of the group’s work, expanding the narrative of public art and social practice in the United States to include the contributions of artists of African descent.
For more information about this program, please visit: studiomuseum.o...
The Smokehouse Associates publication was made possible thanks to funding from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts and Terra Foundation for American Art. The Studio Museum in Harlem’s Learning and Engagement programs are supported by the Thompson Foundation Education Fund; Van Cleef & Arpels; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; Con Edison; May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation; Sony Music Group; and Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation for the Arts. Additional support provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts.