Dayton-area artist featured in nation’s longest-running Black art exhibit in Chicago

Remembrance is at the heart of one of Beavercreek artist Clarice Moore’s paintings— she’s putting the forgotten on display all the way over in Chicago.

Moore’s work was selected for the Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition, the nation’s longest-running African American art exhibits, at the Museum of Science+Industry in Chicago.

“Ascension of Souls,” her oil on canvas representation of the “unavenged and forgotten” as they ascend to heaven, has been hanging in the museum for a few weeks and will remain in the exhibit until the gallery closes April 23. The 16-by-20 inch canvas only took Moore a few painting sessions to bring her vision to the canvas.

“The inspiration for my painting came from the sad news we get so often of people’s lives being cut short without accountability,” Moore said. “The painting gives [a] voice to the voiceless— that they’re not forgotten!”

The exhibit at MSI Chicago has highlighted paintings, drawings, fine art prints, sculpture, mixed-media, ceramics and photography from Black artists since 1970. The Black Creativity program selects work for the showcase through a panel of jurors. She said she’s always looking for opportunities to get her art into galleries and happened across the Black Creativity exhibit just in time to enter before submissions closed.

“Being represented in such a prestigious museum is a great honor and I’m elated!” Moore said.

She was also one of 44 Black artists from across the country featured in Dayton during Black History Month 2022 with her piece “Andrea by the Light.”

“Last year I was privileged to be represented at the Dayton Art Institute during the Black History Through Visual Rhythms exhibition,” she said.

With three decades of exhibiting in her portfolio, Moore also takes time to attend local shows to do caricatures for fun and is the author and illustrator of a children’s book, “Dilly the Violin.” She said she hopes to get her book published on a larger scale because she is now all sold out of copies.

She is a member of the African American Visual Artists Guild of Dayton, which is hosting a special Black History Month exhibit at the Edward A. Dixon Gallery. Moore’s art can be viewed at the gallery until the exhibit closes on Feb. 25.

“The artwork has a focus on the distinguished military service of Black Americans, cultural figures and other Black History from the 20th century to present,” according to the AAVAG.

Her work can also be found at the Dayton Metro Library - West Branch.


HOW TO GO:

Chicago

What: Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition, featuring Moore’s work, Ascension of Souls, alongside over 100 pieces created by Black artists from across the nation

Where: Museum of Science+Industry Chicago, 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60637

When: Through April 23. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

Admission: The exhibit is included in museum admission. For non-members, adult tickets are $21.95 and children ages 3-11 are $12.95.

For more information: Visit https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/black-creativity-juried-art-exhibition/

Dayton

What: Moore’s locally featured artwork

Where: Edward A. Dixon Gallery, 222 N St Clair St, Dayton, and Dayton Metro Library - West Branch, 300 Abbey Ave, Dayton

When: Through Feb. 25 at the Edward A. Dixon Gallery and through the end of February at the Dayton Metro Library. Gallery hours are Thursdays 12-4 p.m., Fridays 12-6 p.m. and Saturdays 12-4 p.m. The library is open 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Admission: Both are free and open to the public.

Related Programming: The gallery will hold an artist talk and public reception Feb. 17 from 6-8 p.m.

For more information: Call 937-985-2115

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