Archival Imaginaries of Black Life
Thursday, December 04, 2025, 18:00 -
Thursday, December 04, 2025, 20:00
Event duration 2 hours
General Admission:
USD 0.00
About Archival Imaginaries of Black Life
J. Yolande Daniels NA & Alexandra Bell in conversation on collective memory & the archival imaginaries of Black life moderated by Gee Wesley
Join us for a conversation between artists J. Yolande Daniels NA and Alexandra Bell, moderated by Gee Wesley, on public memory, collective history, and the archival imaginaries of Black life. In Bell’s “Counternarratives” series, the artist inserts corrections and redactions into the "official record” of reports from The New York Times, highlighting how news media can influence the way Black life is commemorated, misrepresented, or entirely erased. Similarly, J. Yolande Daniels’s work Calle Block employs architectural research and sociological data to uncover racial discrimination in Western spatial designs, institutions, and laws, and to illustrate how African Americans have created freedom and community by shaping their surrounding spaces. In this discussion, Daniels and Bell will explain how their projects craft counternarratives of Black life informed by journalism, sociological data, or historical documents. Together, the artists will discuss how they engage with and challenge these archival records to expose biases and bear witness to the past.
Events Schedule
Thursday, December 04, 2025, 18:00
Thursday, December 04, 2025, 20:00
Event Categories
Educational Events
Community Connections
National Academy of Design
https://nationalacademy.org/
519 West 26th Street 2nd Floor
The National Academy of Design promotes art and architecture in America through exhibition, education, and research. Founded in 1825, the National Academy is the leading honorary society for visual artists and architects in the United States. We advocate for the arts as a tool for education, celebrate the role of artists and architects in public life, and serve as a catalyst for cultural conversations that propel society forward. At the core of our mission are the National Academicians, a vibrant community of 500 artists and architects selected by their peers in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to art and architecture in America. Representing a wide cross-section of practice, the Academicians embody our shared belief in the power of art and architecture to change society and enrich lives. Through their individual work and collective initiatives, the Academicians support their communities, their peers, and the next generation of creative thinkers.