The Black Woman is God: Assembly of Gods

SOMArts is proud to present The Black Woman is God: Assembly of Gods, a multidisciplinary exhibition with free admission from August 30–October 2, 2018, celebrating the Black female presence as the highest spiritual form. More than 50 intergenerational artists working in sculpture, painting, new media, and photography create new myths to challenge Eurocentric notions of God.

Now in its third year at SOMArts, the exhibition’s theme represents the various spiritual traditions of the African diaspora that encourage members of the Black community to claim their own divinity. The exhibition uplifts and makes visible the multiplicity of Black art, culture and spirituality.

“In this assembly, Black women artists recount the varying African narratives of themselves as divine beings, informing the present of what appeared lost to the past. This reclaiming of the self in public becomes a revelatory space for everyone to know the contributions Black women artists have made, not only to the art world but to cultures everywhere,” asserted co-curator and founder of The Black Woman is God Karen Seneferu.

Co-curators Karen Seneferu and Melorra Green envision The Black Woman is God not only as an exhibition, but as a movement-building platform that explores the intersections of race and gender, dismantling racist and patriarchal notions that devalue Black women’s contributions to society. The Black Woman is God: Assembly of Gods reveals a community of Black women artists, paying homage to their complex creative practices that have influenced the world but are often overlooked because of their race, class, and gender. The Black Woman is God subverts our notions of God as a spiritual and revolutionary act.

Opening with a free public reception on Thursday, August 30, 6–10pm, The Black Woman is God presents a Crowns and Gowns procession that will reveal beauty as a site of resistance to annihilation.

Other public programs in conjunction with the exhibition include an afternoon of workshops using art as a tool for healing on Saturday, September 15 from 1–4 pm and a closing reception with performance by Dakatari Dance Collective on Thursday, September 27 from 6–9 pm. Additionally, the exhibition will expand in 2018 to include off-site events and exhibitions across the Bay Area. See below for links to learn more about all off-site events affiliated with The Black Woman is God.

Additional Information
Artist Information Packet

Gallery Hours
Tuesday-Friday, 12-7pm Saturday & Sunday 12-5pm
Closed Saturday, September 8 and 29

Image credit: And Suddenly Froze… by Kytana Winn. Image courtesy of the artist.