Current Exhibitions

{UNDER}flow

A Group Exhibition celebrating the work of five Afro-Caribbean Artists: Josué Azor, Firelei Báez, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, David Antonio Cruz, and Didier William

August 29 – December 9, 2023

Curated by Cynthia Nourse Thompson

Dance performance by students of Professor Lisa Lock will take place at the ZMA: Saturday, December 9 from 4pm to 5pm

This exhibition and associated educational programming celebrate the powerful work of five Afro-Caribbean Diasporic artists and are central to the academic mission of the museum and university. Underflow, another term for the word undercurrent, serves to metaphorically suggest underlying themes of fluidity and struggle [power and control, diasporic experiences, perceived histories, sexuality] that lie just below the surface both visually and conceptually in the works presented, unifying them in compelling ways. Although mutual geography is shared among these artists, each uniquely addresses their own personal affiliations with place and memory as presented through figuration, abstraction, and realism. Moreover, a shared interest in the representation of the body and the contentious relations it introduces between subject and power positions viewers to consider their own perspectives— particularly when placed under the eye of a confrontational gaze. “It is my hope that introducing new regional audiences to these important contemporary artists will prompt valuable discussions regarding conceptions of history, cultural geography, race, gender, and identity.”-Cynthia Nourse Thompson, Curator

_{Image Credit: Leandra Urrutia, Periphery, 2016, Chinese Stoneware and Wire. Courtesy of the artist}

In association with the ZMA exhibitions

August 29, 2023 – July 27, 2024

Virtual Artist Lecture: Thursday, February 29, 2024, 7pm

The ZMA is pleased to present two newly commissioned works by artist Leandra Urrutia. Urrutia is an object maker and storyteller based in Corpus Christi, Texas. Borrowing parts of the human form, she makes powerful compositions and installations that showcase her wild and unconventional creative sense. Her studio work illustrates compelling female-centered struggles between body and mind, especially as one experiences injury, healing and the aging process. Her Mexican-American heritage, Catholic upbringing, interest in aggressive sports, and visits to China continue to bring an unorthodox influence to the ceramic and mixed media sculptures she dreams up. Leandra’s work has been exhibited locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Her honors and awards include a McKnight Residency award from the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, an ArtsMemphis Emmett O’Ryan Award for Artistic Inspiration, and a National Council for the Education of Ceramic Arts (NCECA) Emerging Artist award. Examples of her work can be found in the Lark Book Series 500 Figures in Clay and 500 Ceramic Sculptures. Leandra is a co-founding member of Studio Nong: An International Sculpture Collective and Residency Program that originated in Nanning, Guangxi Province, PRC. She also creates functional pottery and served as president of the Memphis Potters Guild in Memphis, Tennessee from 2019 to 2022. She taught ceramic sculpture, foundations, and a variety of other courses at the Memphis College of Art from 2002 until its closure in May 2020 and briefly served as faculty at Mississippi Valley State University from 2020 to 2022. Currently she serves on the faculty of Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi, Texas, teaching ceramics to undergraduate and graduate students.