Walker is the author of one of my favorite books, The Color Purple. In The Color Purple, Celie, a poor African American woman living in rural Georgia in the 1930s, struggles her way from a place of loneliness, abuse, and being a victim of circumstance to a place of acceptance, finding self-worth, and personal liberation. It’s about overcoming the obstacles in our lives and learning from them. It’s about creating a reality for yourself, not accepting the one that others have forced upon you. Most important, it’s about realizing we are all flawed and, in that understanding, being willing to forgive others for their mistakes.

Although I am a white male, I never took away from the book that it was a “black person’s story.” When I first read it in high school, it had an impact on me because I could identify and empathize with many of the feelings and hardships Celie experienced. They were personal trials many of us have lived through—issues of power and control, of being made to feel less than or unworthy, of learning to trust in your own strength, not what others say you can or cannot do. Celie’s challenges were human challenges. Through her art Walker was able to connect to me as a person.

Each time I walk through the 30 Americans exhibition, I experience that same connection. Although 30 Americans is a collection of works of art by African American artists, the subject matter is often universal. Anyone can identify with issues of race, gender, identity, and history. I, too, ask questions: “Why was I born a male in the United States in the 1960s?” “If my grandparents were Polish, Irish, English, and German, where do I say I come from?” “How does this vessel that houses my soul define me and what I can achieve?” “What is my purpose in the big picture?”

I know that art makes us better. It enlightens us, challenges us to think differently, to question why certain subjects make us uncomfortable, to question what we believe—versus what we were taught to believe—and it makes us explore parts of ourselves that we may have otherwise ignored. It educates us about our history—the achievements and the failures. It reveals truths about the human condition, both our limitations and our amazing potential.

This post is one of a series on staff perspectives of 30 Americans. Robert Mlodzik is Manager of Visitor and Volunteer Services at the NCMA.

The piece itself is a photo of a large black family, probably an extended family, in their finest clothing, mourning what is presumed to be a murdered youth. In and around the photo are words written in yellow that play on the MasterCard commercials, with phrases like “Pistol: $80,” “Bullet: 10 cents,” “Casket: $6,000,” “Burying Your Son: Priceless.” This is a heartbreaking thought. Since those MasterCard commercials were usually so warmhearted and thoughtful, to see them turned by such a horrible event strikes me hard.

I wonder how much less effective the photo might have been if Thomas had not used the commercial element, because advertising is such a strong way to enter our consciousness, traveling down roads of thought like a river travels down a gulch. The piece is really powerful and affected me deeply the first time I saw it. Death always seems to have that effect on people. And so it should.

This post is one of a series on staff perspectives of 30 Americans. Nathan Johnson is a security guard at the NCMA.

The entire exhibition is one sensory exercise after another, a sublime workout for mind and soul. Yet, what I find so appealing about 30 Americans is its playfulness. I love looking at Mickalene Thomas’ Baby I Am Ready Now and seeing an empowered woman: a very strong, confident portrait. But I also see rhinestones. Everywhere I look I see more and more rhinestones, creating beautiful patterns and adding a new layer to the portrayal of this assertive woman. The decoration does not diminish the strength of the portrait; it adds life. It adds a personal, sensual quality. It suggests a softer note to the story, a playful “let’s get dressed up and have some fun” kind of attitude. I love it.

Who doesn’t like to get all dressed up? Nick Cave doesn’t seem to mind. His Soundsuits are simply incredible. Such exquisite detailing and use of materials in unconventional ways result in truly magical pieces of art. It is the human form all decked out: jewels, embroidery, oversize flowers, even silky rainbow-saturated hair. Cave’s Soundsuits seem to pose the challenge, “Just try and not have fun.” Their playfulness is infectious (and we all need more playtime in our lives). If you are as captivated by Nick Cave’s work as I am, you’ll be glad that the artist has also made it possible to take the festivity home, with a Soundsuit punching bag or an Imagination Book to create your own Soundsuit design (available from the online Museum Store, of course).

The creativity and boldness of the 30 Americans exhibition spills over: beyond the gallery walls, into our homes, into our hearts. For me, 30 Americans has been a friendly reminder of how serious art (and serious content) can be enriched by retaining a youthful exuberance and an intelligent, playful spirit.

This post is one of a series on staff perspectives of 30 Americans. Andrew Morgan manages inventory for the Museum Store.

Image: Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2008, fabric, fiberglass, and metal, H. 102 x W. 36 x D. 28 in., Rubell Family Collection, Miami, © 2010 Nick Cave

What I failed to recognize was this was exactly the type of reaction these works seek to elicit from the viewer. Now spending my working hours in the Museum and having more opportunity to learn about contemporary art, I see its place in the art experience.

The best example of this is our current exhibition, 30 Americans. When I went through this exhibition, I was amazed by its power. Every human emotion is represented, and the art demands a reaction. It seems to vibrate. Some of the art is beautiful and lovely to look at, and some made me cry with its message of human failings. There are works that made me shake my head because, on the surface, they seem ridiculous—a piece of carpet, a pile of cotton bales—and some that made me hang my head from the injustice man causes man. And some works will even made me laugh with their humor and irony.

One of my favorites in the exhibition is Camptown Ladies by Kara Walker. This is a large series of cutouts depicting the Stephen Foster song, but as you look closer at the figures in the work, you begin to see disturbing things. A theme of dominance and cruelty emerges—representing not only the era in which the song was popular but also the story of human civilization—one culture or group having dominion over another.

This exhibition is one not to be missed. I love it. It speaks to everyone with insights into the human soul, humor, sadness, and beauty. To paraphrase artist Kehinde Wiley, it is a story about power—who has it, who doesn’t have it, and how telling about it can bring about change. I hope more people come to experience what these artists have created. It is something quite important and potent. Don’t miss it.

This post is one of a series on staff perspectives of 30 Americans. Kathryn Yandell is a major gifts officer at the NCMA.

Glenn Ligon, Stranger #21, 2005, acrylic, coal dust, silkscreen, gesso. and oil stick on canvas, 96 x 72 in.

When I first heard the title I thought, OK, what is this about? The answer came, 30 contemporary African American artists. My next thought was, OK, contemporary art. I am sure that I, like many others, have my personal favorite periods of art, favorite styles of art, and even favorite artists making art. I will admit that contemporary art is an area about which I am the most unfamiliar.

When I walked through the show, I was intrigued to find names I recognized from ARTnews. This show was full of the contemporary artists I had read about—Nick Cave (ARTnews, November 2010), Wangechi Mutu (ARTnews, February 2011) and Jean-Michel Basquiat (ARTnews, March 2010), to name a few.

Perhaps I should look more closely …

I think it is a wonderful thing how our minds can take an unfamiliar image and in a flash link it to something familiar that we have seen somewhere along the way. This happened over and over as I walked through the installation of 30 Americans.

From afar Glenn Ligon’s Stranger #21 reads as a modernist color-field work reminiscent of the Ellsworth Kelly in West Building. As I got closer to the Ligon, texture came into focus. Move in even closer, and it becomes actual text. One is physically drawn into the message and the words of James Baldwin’s 1953 essay “Stranger in the Village,” which Ligon uses to tell his own story.

Kara Walker’s use of Victorian-silhouette-style cutout paper catches the unsuspecting eye and tells a story not of idyllic Victorian life but of something entirely different. Rashid Johnson creates assemblage works that recall Louise Nevelson’s Black Zag CC, also in West Building. Kehinde Wiley refers to his style as “urban-meets-classical.” His paintings beautifully integrate contemporary figures with images from Velázquez and van Dyck and others. The links in this exhibition are not limited to the past or other styles of art but also to literature and music.

The links move us forward to present-day advertising with the Nike swoosh in Branded Head by Hank Willis Thomas and social media video that can be viewed in the City Block. As I walked through the City Block I saw a video of Nick Cave’s Soundsuits in action. These full-body art pieces are worn by the artist, who twirls and swirls, truly making the art come to life. Many of the movements are similar to those used in the Egungun ceremony dance of the Yoruba people. Yes, there is an Egungun costume in West Building.

I was honestly surprised and delighted by how many different ways I could connect with the art in 30 Americans. There is something about people telling a story. Whether it is my story or their story or someone else’s story, a story told well through art is a beautiful thing.

This post is one of a series on staff perspectives of 30 Americans. Kathryn Briggs works in exhibition design at the NCMA.

30 Americans, currently showing at the Museum until September 4, is jam-packed with some of the most provocative, engaging, and humorous expressions about the world we live in from 31 of America’s most respected artists, among them Kara Walker, Mark Bradford, Glenn Ligon, Carrie Mae Weems, Lorna Simpson, and Nick Cave. Kehinde Wiley’s monumental work is breathtaking. All of the artists are African American. While you are here, don’t miss Alter Ego, Anthony Goicolea’s first comprehensive retrospective of his work in all media, exploring adolescence, the mythology of landscape, and the mystery of family.

Many of the same artists in 30 Americans are also in the collection of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University and are currently on view in Building the Contemporary Collection: Five Years of Acquisitions until August 14.  The Ackland Museum at UNC–Chapel Hill has exceptional work by contemporary German artists including Gerhard Richter and Joseph Beuys in the exhibition De-Natured.

Downtown Raleigh is popping with the opening of the new Contemporary Art Museum. Not only is the building worth a visit to remind you of a New York gallery experience, but so are the very cool exhibitions by Dan Steinhilber (recycled materials ingeniously reinterpreted) and Naoko Ito (a meditative response to nature). Step over to Flanders Gallery to prove to yourself that Raleigh is not far removed from New York.

For a day’s outing, head up to Winston-Salem for a visit to SECCA, the Southeast Center for Contemporary Art (about 1 ½ hours’ drive from Raleigh). Wow. Not only are the galleries among the most striking contemporary art spaces in North Carolina, but the exhibitions organized by their brilliant curator, Steven Matijio, are truly of a world standard. Currently on view are: American Gothic: Aaron Spangler and Alison Elizabeth Taylor; Oscar Muñoz: Imprints for a Fleeting Memorial; and Clark Wittington & Artists in Cellophane (AIC): The Art-o-Mat Enterprise. On the way home, visit the Weatherspoon Art Museum at UNC–Greensboro, where excellent contemporary work is always on view, including the best new works on paper you will find anywhere.

Ready. Set. Go. You are bound to find a revitalizing new energy in these experiences. So, NCMA members, get going. And plan to start right here at the NCMA for an art jolt you don’t want to miss.

Every year on or around May 18, museums around the world celebrate International Museum Day, a day that focuses on museums and the role they play in our ever-changing society. This year’s International Museum Day theme is “Museum and Memory,” which reflects beautifully the role of museums. The NCMA’s collection—like that of every museum—preserves the memory of cultures and people, past or present.  By visiting the permanent collection galleries of West Building, you can discover these cultures and eras, and create your own memories as well.

The NCMA is celebrating International Museum Day on Wednesday, May 18, with free admission to 30 Americans, a superb exhibition presenting the works of contemporary African American artists, and a free screening of Purvis of Overtown, a documentary on contemporary artist Purvis Young, an icon of Black culture whose work is featured in 30 Americans. East Building will be open until 8 pm for those attending the screening and visiting 30 Americans.

This year during International Museum Day a special focus is also placed on Africa and highlighting its important cultural contributions to the world. Come celebrate International Museum Day and African heritage at the NCMA on May 18! Visit the African collection in West Building until 5 pm (and as the NCMA’s unofficial spokesperson for IMD, I can make a shameless plug for my own galleries—Egypt is in Africa, so take a look at the ancient Egyptian galleries as well and marvel at the long history and cultural diversity of this fascinating continent). 

Happy International Museum Day to all!

In honor of this year’s theme “Museum and Memory,” we want to hear about your most  memorable NCMA experience. Share a story or a photo on our Facebook wall by May 18 and we’ll randomly select one person to win an NCMA prize pack.