Lonnie Holley: If You Really Knew | Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, FL

May 10 – October 1, 2023

More information on the exhibition

Lonnie Holley
If You Really Knew
Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, FL 

Curated by Adeze Wilford 

The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami (MOCA) is pleased to announce If You Really Knew, an intimate and focused look at the career of Birmingham, Alabama-born artist and musician Lonnie Holley.

If You Really Knew, curated by MOCA curator Adeze Wilford, will feature 70 works including foundational “sandstone” sculptures, new works on paper, and large-scale quilt paintings. Known for his unique style of art that draws inspiration from his life experiences, Holley often incorporates and transforms found objects and everyday materials. Holley’s influence on Southern art is highlighted throughout If You Really Knew, which includes a section he curated featuring works from artists such as Miami native Purvis Young, Thornton Dial, Joe Minter, Mary T. Smith, and Hawkins Bolden.

“Holley’s work is not just aesthetically compelling, but it also challenges viewers to rethink their relationships to objects, discarded items and the environment,” says Wilford. “The exhibition offers an emotionally moving experience and is a testament to the power of art to inspire social change.”

“MOCA is incredibly proud to present world-renowned artist Lonnie Holley's most robust exhibition to date,” said Chana Sheldon, MOCA Executive Director. 

The exhibition will open with a reception on Wednesday, May 10 at 7pm, and will be accompanied by a series of exciting public programming and educational experiences, including a performance by Lonnie Holley on September 8 and an art workshop led by Holley on September 9. More details will be announced. 

Lonnie Holley (b. 1950, Birmingham, AL) has devoted his life to the practice of improvisational creativity. His art and music, born out of struggle, hardship, but perhaps more importantly, out of furious curiosity and biological necessity, has manifested itself in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, performance, and sound. Holley’s work is in permanent museum collections throughout the country, on display in the United Nations, and been displayed in the White House Rose Garden. In January of 2014, Holley completed a one-month artist-in-residence with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation in Captiva Island, FL, site of the acclaimed artist’s studio. 

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