Open Air: Artist Talk with Carla Aaron-Lopez

Learn about the Gantt's newest exhibition in this virtual conversation with artist and curator Carla Aaron-Lopez, hosted by Dexter Wimberly. Open Air is a monthly series of virtual studio visits and intimate conversations with Black artists across the globe hosted by the Gantt. In August, Open Air features Charlotte's own multi-media artist, educator, and curator of the Gantt's second biennial exhibition, my Presence is Present, Carla Aaron-Lopez. The host will lead a curator-to-curator conversation with Carla, exploring the curatorial process as its own art form.

This program will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

Carla Aaron-Lopez is a photographer, printmaker and collagist. Ever defying expectation, Aaron-Lopez has also expanded her practice to include murals and painting. She is a deeply committed collaborator whose own work is frequently created with fellow artists at various stages of career. Aaron-Lopez has pioneered platforms for underground artists and built spaces that encourage experimentation in both Atlanta and Charlotte.

Aaron-Lopez received her BA in Graphic Design from North Carolina Central University and her Master of Fine Art in Photography and Master of Printmaking from Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta. In addition to creating artwork, she is a beloved arts educator within Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Aaron-Lopez considers herself a "professional student of life" who believes we all have the ability to learn and create anything. She is also a member of Black arts collective and event space BLKMRKTCLT.

Dexter Wimberly is an American curator based in Japan who has organized exhibitions in galleries and institutions around the world including the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, The Green Family Art Foundation in Dallas, KOKI Arts in Tokyo, Bode Projects in Berlin, and The Third Line in Dubai. His exhibitions have been reviewed and featured in publications including The New York Times and Artforum; and have received support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and The Kinkade Family Foundation. Wimberly is a Senior Critic at New York Academy of Art, and the founder and director of the Hayama Artist Residency in Japan. He is also the co-founder and CEO of the online education platform, CreativeStudy.