Cleveland Institute of Art hosts talk by Philadelphia-based artist Mark Thomas Gibson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2025

CLEVELAND—Philadelphia-based multidisciplinary artist Mark Thomas Gibson will present “Time After Time” as the Cleveland Institute of Art’s 2025 Curlee Raven Holton Inclusion Scholar.

During this narrative-focused artist talk, Gibson will discuss art history and his relationship to selected works. He will also share insight about his own bodies of work and the political/historical events that took place as they were created, from earlier in his career to present day. This includes work currently featured in Possibility for Repair, a group exhibition on view through February 9 in CIA’s Reinberger Gallery.

“Time After Time” will take place at 6pm Thursday, February 6 in CIA’s Peter B. Lewis Theater. A reception will follow the presentation. This event is free and open to the public but registration is required to attend. Register here by Friday, January 31.

Gibson’s (b. 1980, Miami) personal lens on American culture stems from his multipartite viewpoint as an artist, professor and American history buff. These myriad and often colliding perspectives fuel his exploration of contemporary culture through the language of painting and drawing, revealing a vision of America where every viewer is implicated as a potential character within the story.

“Mark Thomas Gibson’s work is an urgent and timely call for truth in a time of misinformation, conspiracy, and the rise of fascism in America,” says Reinberger Gallery director Nikki Woods, who’s organizing Gibson’s talk. “In times of uncertainty and in opposition to the abuse of power, artists have historically spoken truth to that power and remind us of the importance of culture and our shared humanity.”

“Time After Time” marks the second annual event for CIA’s Curlee Raven Holton Inclusion Scholar Program, which provides established and emerging artists from traditionally marginalized groups opportunities to engage with students in professional development and networking at CIA. Holton earned his BFA in Drawing and Printmaking from CIA in 1989.

“Cleveland Institute of Art students, staff and faculty—and the Greater Cleveland community at large—benefit greatly from the Curlee Raven Holton Visiting Scholar program,” Woods says. “This generous initiative provides CIA with an incredible opportunity to bring in leading diverse voices in art and design such as Mark Thomas Gibson, whose ideas spark discourse, inspire future creative scholarship, and allow artists to see themselves as architects of the future.”