IF YOU MISSED THE HAIR PROJECT

Themes of femininity, diversity and the body are central to the artworks on view in our current exhibition titled, Reclaimed.  Hair is a reoccurring theme that reveals diverse qualities, both culturally and generationally. This common thread is seen in the exhibition’s works by Lorraine O’Grady, Annette Messager, Kiki Smith, Judy Dater and Tracey Rose.

Inspired by hair as subject matter, we partnered with Gemini Ink and Twirl hair salon to develop a program titled, “Hair Passports.”  The program brought together friends and faces from different facets of the San Antonio community whose hair portraits were taken by photographer Josh Huskin. A live poetry reading was recited by Jenny Browne and music was performed by harpist, Rachel Ferris. 

We recognized 53 participants from the local community in the form of taking their “hair portrait.” The photographs were taken in a uniform presentation that highlighted the unique qualities of the subjects hair, underlining the diversity within our community.

The recited readings by Contemporary poet, Jenny Browne, were inspired by the exhibition. Her poems and essays have appeared in various publications including American Poetry Review, Gulf Coast, Pleiades and The New York Times. Currently she is an Associate Professor of English at Trinity University and is the 2016-2018 City of San Antonio Poet Laureate and the 2017 State of Texas Poet Laureate.

To see more Hair Passports follow the project’s Instagram page.