School of Art Graduate Student Receives Creative Exchange Fund Opportunity from The Medium for Exhibition

Black Matter[s]: Demystifying Black Materiality in the Arts, an exhibition by School of Art student Michelle Kamanga, is on view now through March 18, 2026, in the Main Hall at The Medium. An exhibition reception will also take place at the same location on Feb. 26 from 6-8 p.m. where there will be a live art performance by artist Cory Perry.

Kamanga, who began her academic career at the University of Arkansas' Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences as an undergraduate (B.A. in art history, '24), is now pursuing her master's degree in art history at the university. She was selected for the Creative Exchange Fund (CXF) at The Medium, which provides funding and free space for creatives and cultural organizers to develop and present their work across five funding categories. Kamanga's project was chosen for the Spectra Series, which supports artists in hosting group exhibitions in The Medium's Main Hall or on its outdoor campus.

She has curated her exhibition to explore the invisibility of Black materiality and material culture in the arts. Materials function as repositories for memory, identity and self-expression. "Black Matter[s] offers a platform for conversation, shared understanding and cultural connection. By engaging with familiar materials, viewers are invited to connect not only with the artworks themselves, but also with the cultures, identities and lived experiences they represent," she said.

Through various works, the exhibition examines how objects hold memory and stories, while working with materials can center process. Artists involved include Courtney Brooks, V Huff, Cory Perry, Shannon Smith and Carletta Williams - several of whom are current students or graduates of the School of Art. Artwork features found objects, fiber, wood, clay and fabric, which reference Black Southern motifs, domestic life, hair practices, family memory, spiritual ancestry and various expressions of identity.

Throughout the exhibition, visitors are also invited to contribute their own stories by designing a quilting square to be added to the growing community quilt reflecting the vibrant communities of Northwest Arkansas. Each square represents an individual's voice, and together, they form a shared visual record of lived experiences. As new contributions are stitched into place, the quilt becomes a living artwork that connects people across differences and reshapes how stories are told together. Kamanga says she hopes viewers walk away from the exhibition a found resonance and connection with the artwork and narratives presented.

Kamanga is an interdisciplinary artist, curator and art historian. She is currently pursuing her M.A. in art history at the U of A in the School of Art, specializing in contemporary art of the African Diaspora. Her research examines how artists engage material culture to explore themes of identity, cultural memory and archival practice. Kamanga has held curatorial internships at the Art Bridges Foundation (2023) and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (2024) and worked in community engagement with CACHE (Creative Arkansas Community Hub and Exchange) in 2025. She is a recipient of the 2025/2026 Creative Exchange Fund (CXF) Indoor Spectra Series opportunity.

Black Matter[s]: Demystifying Black Materiality in the Arts is on view at The Medium (214 S. Main St., Springdale, AR 72764), until March 18, 2026. Admission is free and open to the public. This project is supported by the Creative Exchange Fund (CXF) at The Medium, a program that provides artists, creatives and cultural organizers with funding and free space to experiment and take bold risks. Learn more at themedium.art/cxf.