Artist Statement

For much of the country’s life, it has taught a version of history that excluded black Americans. In the mid-1960s, the most popular textbook for eighth-grade U.S. history classes only mentioned two black Americans in the century since the Civil War. The suppression of black history and art is intertwined with the repression of black rights and equality. A Letter for Sonia Sanchez is an examination of the suppression and distortion of black history, culture, and education, while providing light to the depth and diversity of American literature.

Artist Bio

Chris Revelle is an interdisciplinary artist focused on civically-engaged work and a professor of contemporary art practices and theories. Through the examination of history, language, and visual culture, Revelle’s work confronts the failures and abuses of social, political, and economic systems. The goal of his practice is to challenge public memory/engagement while inspiring discourse and empathy. Revelle has exhibited in the United States, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Europe, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, and India, and has created artwork for United Nations organizations. His solo exhibition Swing Low was named Best Virtual Exhibit for 2020 by Phoenix New Times. In 2018, Revelle was the recipient of the Idea Capital Grant and a finalist for the 2017 Hong Kong Human Rights Art Prize. As an educator, Revelle is passionate about his students’ success – emphasizing research, dialogue, and persistence – while balancing technical and conceptual development. He was formerly the Chair of Fine Arts at Savannah College of Art and Design Hong Kong, and a Faculty Lecturer of Painting and Drawing at Arizona State University. Revelle earned his Master of Fine Arts from the School of Art at CalArts (California Institute of the Arts) in Valencia, CA. More at @mr_revelle.