Conceptual Fade
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Conceptual Fade, a gallery project….
My name is Tiona Nekkia McClodden [she/her] and I am a visual artist, filmmaker, and curator. I am embarking on a gallery project, Conceptual Fade, centering Black artists across the Diaspora. For over five years I have developed this gallery project, and have finally secured a location to present exhibitions. Conceptual Fade is a 135 square foot gallery that will host micro-exhibitions and a library for limited audiences. The urgency of this project has pushed me to forgo outside grant funding to produce the project. To get the gallery in shape, I have tapped into my personal savings and have reached my limit. So far I have renovated the space with my own hands to cut costs, painting the space, installing a new wood floor, securing local antique furniture from the 1930s, and completing other small renovations.
My goal is to raise at least $5,000 to complete the renovation of the space and fund five to seven exhibitions throughout 2021. The space is still in need of professional lighting installation, several minor fixture renovations, and painting of the ceiling.
Gallery Format: Each exhibition will feature (1) one single work by an artist, supported by up to (7) seven reference and process-based materials related to the conceptual development of that work.
Conceptual Fade takes inspiration from the Philadelphia-based Pyramid Club, founded in 1937, an all-Black-led and operated organization and private social club located in North Philadelphia. The Pyramid Club held an annual art exhibition in its salon space, with the goal of connecting featured Black artists to local Black patrons and community.
Conceptual Fade is also a nod to Japanesemicro bars, which have influenced my approach to curation since my first visit to Tokyo in 2017. These small bars usually have capacities of only three to ten people. They offer a highly curated and intimate experience, usually organized around a particular cultural interest, and I found they challenged my thinking about scale and impact. At only 135 square feet, the capacity for Conceptual Fade is (5) five people (2 with Covid-19 restrictions).
Conceptual Fade will feature work from a range of intergenerational Black artists working across a variety of forms—writers, musicians, poets, visual artists, designers, and more. The goal is to allow a deeper understanding of Black thought and conceptual practice related to a range of art forms.
Conceptual Fade is initially a three-year commitment. After three years of exhibitions, I will pause to review, assess, and decide how to execute the project moving forward.
Conceptual Fade will also house and make accessible my personal library for public research, including a curated selection of Black artists’ monographs, fiction, and non-fiction publications. This library is made available to encourage research for curatorial and writing practice to local artists and writers.
The gallery will open to the public in February 2021 with limited capacity due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Support for this project will allow me to make sure this gallery space is ready to be accessed for the public in time for my first scheduled exhibition in Feb which will highlight a local Black artist as the premier for the space.
Thank you for reading and for supporting this project!
xTiona Nekkia McClodden
Before renovations
After my preliminary renovations;
My name is Tiona Nekkia McClodden [she/her] and I am a visual artist, filmmaker, and curator. I am embarking on a gallery project, Conceptual Fade, centering Black artists across the Diaspora. For over five years I have developed this gallery project, and have finally secured a location to present exhibitions. Conceptual Fade is a 135 square foot gallery that will host micro-exhibitions and a library for limited audiences. The urgency of this project has pushed me to forgo outside grant funding to produce the project. To get the gallery in shape, I have tapped into my personal savings and have reached my limit. So far I have renovated the space with my own hands to cut costs, painting the space, installing a new wood floor, securing local antique furniture from the 1930s, and completing other small renovations.
My goal is to raise at least $5,000 to complete the renovation of the space and fund five to seven exhibitions throughout 2021. The space is still in need of professional lighting installation, several minor fixture renovations, and painting of the ceiling.
Gallery Format: Each exhibition will feature (1) one single work by an artist, supported by up to (7) seven reference and process-based materials related to the conceptual development of that work.
Conceptual Fade takes inspiration from the Philadelphia-based Pyramid Club, founded in 1937, an all-Black-led and operated organization and private social club located in North Philadelphia. The Pyramid Club held an annual art exhibition in its salon space, with the goal of connecting featured Black artists to local Black patrons and community.
Conceptual Fade is also a nod to Japanesemicro bars, which have influenced my approach to curation since my first visit to Tokyo in 2017. These small bars usually have capacities of only three to ten people. They offer a highly curated and intimate experience, usually organized around a particular cultural interest, and I found they challenged my thinking about scale and impact. At only 135 square feet, the capacity for Conceptual Fade is (5) five people (2 with Covid-19 restrictions).
Conceptual Fade will feature work from a range of intergenerational Black artists working across a variety of forms—writers, musicians, poets, visual artists, designers, and more. The goal is to allow a deeper understanding of Black thought and conceptual practice related to a range of art forms.
Conceptual Fade is initially a three-year commitment. After three years of exhibitions, I will pause to review, assess, and decide how to execute the project moving forward.
Conceptual Fade will also house and make accessible my personal library for public research, including a curated selection of Black artists’ monographs, fiction, and non-fiction publications. This library is made available to encourage research for curatorial and writing practice to local artists and writers.
The gallery will open to the public in February 2021 with limited capacity due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Support for this project will allow me to make sure this gallery space is ready to be accessed for the public in time for my first scheduled exhibition in Feb which will highlight a local Black artist as the premier for the space.
Thank you for reading and for supporting this project!
xTiona Nekkia McClodden
Before renovations
After my preliminary renovations;
Organizer
Tiona Nekkia McClodden
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA
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