Events

Ed Wilson: The Sculptor as Afro-humanist
Opening reception
Thursday, September 7, 5:00-7:00PM

Ed Wilson: The Sculptor as Afro-humanist (Sept. 7–Dec. 9, 2023) will be the first retrospective of this under-recognized American artist in over fifty years. Wilson (1925–1996), longtime member of the studio faculty at Binghamton University, was an innovative sculptor whose practice evolved from figures carved from stone and wood in the 1950s toward large-scale public artworks, often sited in educational institutions, beginning in the late 1960s. 

The exhibition, organized by Adjunct Curator and Professor of Art History, Tom McDonough, will feature Wilson’s surviving sculptural works and drawings, assembled from Museum holdings and loans from private and public collections nationwide, along with the artist’s personal archives held by his family. The exhibition will present the most comprehensive overview of his 45-year long career. A fully illustrated catalogue will be available and programming is planned throughout the course of the exhibition.

Witches Flu
WHRW 90.5FM
Fridays, September 22 - November 17, 7:00AM

Join Jeremy Boyle and Derek Scott at WHRW 90.5FM for 'Witches Flu,' a radio program dedicated to celebrating the remarkable life and legacy of Ed Wilson, the pioneering 20th-century African American sculptor and esteemed member of Binghamton University's studio faculty. Immerse yourself in the world of jazz music that fueled Wilson's creativity, featuring his cherished tunes, as we embark on a captivating exploration of his artistic spirit and profound cultural influence. This program is offered in conjunction with the current exhibition, Ed Wilson: The Sculptor as Afro-humanist on view at the Binghamton University Art Museum through December 9.

BU Family Weekend
Friday and Saturday, October 6-7, 12:00-4:00PM: Open to the public.

Saturday, October 7, 2:00-4:00PM: Live screen printing and free t-shirts and bags celebrating “Black Art @ BUAM” will be featured, as well as a family scavenger hunt and Kid Curator activity.

Homecoming Weekend
Saturday, October 14, 2:00–4:00PM

Live screen printing and free t-shirts and bags celebrating “Black Art @ BUAM” will be featured.
Free and open to the public.

Fall Community Family Day 
Saturday, October 21, 1:00–3:00PM

Families can explore our galleries, speak with our wonderful docents, participate in scavenger hunts and create their own low-relief sculptures. Live screen printing and other activities will be available.  

Free and open to all. We look forward to sharing our collection with you! For more information, contact Amanda Jean Lynn, Coordinator of Education and Public Programs at 607-777-2634 or alynn1@binghamton.edu.

Bus passes are available for those who need them. To reserve a free bus pass to the event, visit bit.ly/BusToBUAM.

Ed Wilson: Claiming Black Public Space
November 9, 5:00PM, FA-258
Bridget Cooks, African American Studies and Art History, University of California, Irvine

Author of Exhibiting Blackness: African Americans and the American Art Museum (U of Mass Press, 2011), Cooks will speak about the tradition of Black public art and Wilson’s role as an innovator in the form.

Sponsored by the Terra Foundation for American Art and the Material + Visual Worlds Transdisciplinary Area of Excellence (TAE) Speaker Series at Binghamton University.

A lecture with artist, Kevin Beasley
November 16, 5:00PM, FA-258

Kevin Beasley lives and works in New York. His practice spans sculpture, photography, sound, and performance, while centering on materials of cultural and personal significance, from raw cotton harvested from his family’s property in Virginia to sounds gathered using contact microphones. Beasley alters, casts, and molds these diverse materials to form a body of works that acknowledge the complex, shared histories of the broader American experience, steeped in generational memories.  

Sponsored by the Terra Foundation for American Art and the Material + Visual Worlds Transdisciplinary Area of Excellence (TAE) Speaker Series at Binghamton University.