Artist Kehinde Wiley delivers a distinctive and creative portraiture style. Image provided.

By Darla McCammon
and DeeAnna Muraski
Guest Columnists

Darla McCammon and DeeAnna Muraski

WARSAW — We hope you have enjoyed this series of Art in America. We have traveled on a concurrent track of what was happening in the United States and the artists who influenced that era. Our memory lane traversed from the early 1900s to the current day. You got to read about the conversion of America from an unknown art entity to the originator of many significant worldwide art movements. Together we journeyed through the cultural changes in our nation that shaped the artists and some artists who shaped our nation.

Art changed drastically in 124 years from the 1900s to 2024 and especially in the United States. Mostly because our country was newly formed in 1776 with the ratification of the Declaration of Independence. When you think about all we have accomplished within the last 248 years, it is quite astonishing. Notwithstanding the brilliance of our European masters who set the stage and carried on their trade through their generosity of training successors. Our American masters gleaned much from them and brought America onto the art scene and thrust into the limelight, where it has remained.

The European art masters bring us full circle with our last artist in the Art in America series: Kehinde Wiley. After reading about the significant movements our American artists created, it is hard to imagine that there could be something new on the art scene. However, the beauty of something old is that it can be made new again, and the transformation is usually breathtaking.

Wiley takes current-day staged portraits of mostly African-Americans and paints them as if the old masters had awakened from the dead to artfully right a wrong. To Wiley’s credit, being able to paint dark skin tones is extremely difficult. If you try painting a dark dress or table, it is an easier task (but still complex) as it is meant to fade into the background. But the ability to illuminate a darker face is much more challenging; however, Wiley makes it appear effortless. His work is a fresh take on the European masters’ more drab backgrounds as he uses bolder colors. But the feel of the painting is evocative of centuries ago, and if you did not know differently, you could imagine Leonardo da Vinci in the studio waiting for the painting to dry. In many of his paintings he juxtaposes present-day clothing with vintage props or clothing.

Wiley received his master’s in fine arts from Yale University. He was commissioned to paint all the VH1 Hip Hop honorees and former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. His presidential painting resides in the Smithsonian. The idea of re-dressing old master paintings is brilliant. The beauty of viewing and appreciating art is that ultimately the interpretation is yours and yours only.

Warsaw City Hall Art Gallery: Hurry to see Grace alumni Jackie Meier; she is only displaying until Thursday, Aug. 15. Please take the time to stop in and see her work. It takes a lot of time for the artists to put up all their art and to take down the exhibit when they are done. Showing them our love helps continue bringing in wonderful talent at no charge to the community. Meier is displaying her colorful landscapes and animals. You can view her artwork in City Hall, 102 S. Buffalo St., downtown Warsaw, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (except holidays). The exhibit is on the first floor and is handicapped-accessible.

Darla McCammon is an artist, columnist and author. DeeAnna Muraski is executive director of Operation Read USA Inc. Send an email to the mother/daughter team at [email protected].