The DuVernay Collective: On View at Merritt Mansion
Written by Karen Mathis
Hailing from New Orleans, the DuVernay Collective announced a partnership with Clarence Edwards, Nashville-based gallerist and event curator of cëcret by cë gallery, and Karen Wong, former deputy director of NYC’s New Museum, to launch DuVernay’s debut Nashville exhibition: Beauty and Pain. For this Nashville display, DuVernay Collective deconstructed their feathered suit, Beauty and Pain — initially worn as a ceremonial garment in the Mardi Gras parade — and upcycled the intricately beaded patches into embroidered emblems that bear stories of grief, hope, and regeneration.
"cëcret by cë gallery was built to spotlight a diverse collection of artists, both in Nashville and around the country. I am thrilled to welcome DuVernay Collective into the Merritt Mansion — a space that shares a reverence for history and commitment to reinvention," says Clarence Edward, curator and founder cëcret by cë gallery.
Beauty and Pain will transform Wedgewood Houston’s historic Merritt Mansion, currently home to cëcret by cë gallery, beginning on Thursday, September 7th. The exhibit will culminate on Sat., Sept. 30th with an afternoon artist talk between Charles DuVernay and Clarence Edwards, followed by an evening party fêting the artists.