Ailey’s Musical Constellations Session 2

Using the exhibition Edges of Ailey as a point of departure, this two-part course investigates the deep connections between Black musical traditions and artistic expression, highlighting how these influences extend beyond music to shape visual and conceptual art. Focusing on genres such as jazz, swing, spirituals, and blues, the course considers how both Ailey and the artists in his orbit weave the rhythms, history, and emotional resonance of these musical genres into their work. Through the lens of "musicking”—an active process of creating, participating in, and experiencing music —participants will gain a deeper appreciation of Ailey’s artistry and its profound impact on generations of artists, transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries. 

From Spirituals to Blues Part Two explores how artists like Palmer Hayden and Ralph Lemon engage with the history of spirituals and blues music, reflecting these traditions through figurative works and conceptual projects. It also considers blues as both a color and a musical mode of expression in the work of artists like Bill Traylor, Lonnie Holley, and in Ailey’s Blues Suite.