Collection close-up: new acquisitions from artists James Wyatt and J the Artist

By Elizabeth Coulter, Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs Curator of Collections

The Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs has recently accessioned two works by contemporary artists James Wyatt and J the Artist that memorialize the political and social moment of 2020. The Division currently accepts donations to the state’s Historic Collection, and several newly added objects reflect the agency’s recent efforts to participate in “rapid response collecting.” The curatorial team has actively sought out objects that represent important moments in recent history.

The works by Wyatt and J the Artist were among an initiative that also featured artists Erica Jones and JaQuanne LeRoy to commemorate the historic moment. Jonathan Whitney and Eliza Jarvis of Flux Creative Consulting and Joe Del Tufo of Moonloop Photography commissioned the project because they wanted to find a way to focus their energy and emotions after the civil unrest in the city of Wilmington, Delaware, on May 30, 2020, in the wake of George Floyd’s death. They provided an opportunity to empower young, Black artists by connecting them with businesses boarding up their windows. Four unique works were created at different sites in downtown Wilmington.

Wyatt works as a painter, sculptor, muralist and art educator. As a Wilmington resident, he witnessed firsthand the protests less than two years ago and wanted to find a way to create a positive impact in the community in response to the pain. This work, originally installed at Spaceboy Clothing in Wilmington is inspired by the culture and art from the Black Panthers and features the lyric, “The revolution will not be televised…the revolution will be live” from the 1970 poem “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott Heron. The title of the poem originated as a slogan in the Black Power movement of the 1960s. The lyric is juxtaposed with “I can’t breathe,” a phrase associated with 70 cases of deadly police restraints, including the deaths of Eric Garner and George Floyd, and recent Black Lives Matter protests around the country.

J the Artist works in painting, mainly in portraiture, as echoed by this work originally found at Nomad Bar in Wilmington. Here, she features black-and-white portraits of major figures in history, including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, Shirley Chisholm, President Barack Obama, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. These portraits, painted over archival materials that recall racist tropes, inequity and oppression over centuries in the United States, juxtaposes the powerful figures that worked to change the long-established racist systems in place and those whom the same systems failed. Above the portraits she incorporated the powerful statement, “We just want a kinder world than this,” which reflects on past and present inequities and trauma, while it simultaneously presses the need for action. “Black Lives Matter” and “You Matter” directly connect the work to the movement and the viewer.

The works by James Wyatt and J the Artist are currently on loan at the Longview Museum of Fine Arts in Longview, Texas, in their exhibition “Addressing the Moment: The Artist’s Voice.” The exhibition, which runs through March 5, will feature all the works created as a part of the original Wilmington initiative.

As the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ Curator of Collections, Elizabeth Coulter participates in developing and installing exhibits, developing and presenting educational programs, providing access to the collections, collaborating with partnering organizations and expanding the profile and use of the collections. She holds a bachelor’s degree in art history and American studies from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in decorative arts history from George Mason University and the Smithsonian Associates.