SANTA BARBARA, CA.- For her first solo museum exhibition, Ja’Tovia Gary (b. 1984, Dallas, TX; lives New York) is being represented by three films that range from documentary to more experimental filmmaking. Gary’s videos are powerful examinations of the complexity and multidimensionality of Black life. Her works frequently incorporate online found footage and 16mm archival film upon which she directly animates through etching and painting. The earliest work in the show highlights a Black queer rapper and his irrepressible, forthright approach to life and music. The most recent film, made while Gary was an artist in residence at Giverny, France, melds the lush beauty of the gardens with found footage of Monet, Fred Hampton, the Chairman of the Chicago Chapter of the Black Panther Party, and cell phone footage of recent violent interactions between police and Black citizens. The results are visceral, defiant, and nuanced artistic statements on violence, power, perception, and love. The title for her exhibition, is related to Gary’s desire to apply an “ethic of care” to her research and filmmaking process and references the work of Black feminist writer and scholar Christina Sharpe. Consequently, Gary is focused on addressing challenging topics but always with a sensitivity and focus on the individuals and communities directly affected by these painful realities.

Firooz Zahedi: that was then, this is now
On view: July 14 – September 2, 2018
Talk and Reception: August 31, 5:30-7:30pm
Hollywood photographs have been a subject of attention for decades, both as works of art in their own right and as rich fodder for artistic interpretation. Andy Warhol’s Marilyn of the 1960s and Cindy Sherman’s Film Stills series of the late 1970s are only the most famous examples of artists who have analyzed, critiqued or sought to undermine the hold such images have on our imagination. In the spectrum of consumption within which celebrity and stardom exist, Hollywood photographs have been a favorite subject of appropriative strategies for decades. Unlike others who have done so, however, Firooz Zahedi (b. 1949, Tehran, Iran) has worked inside the magical circle of Hollywood.

Zahedi is a significant Hollywood photographer who has created memorable images of celebrities for decades. Any number of Zahedi’s photographs are deeply embedded in our cultural imagination, from the shot of Uma Thurman on the Pulp Fiction poster to hundreds of images of Elizabeth Taylor. In recent years he has begun to manipulate his commercial work in different ways, examining it self-reflexively. In so doing he comments on both his own work and the image system in which it operates. This exhibition includes more than a dozen works by the artist, as well as vintage glamour prints that establishes historical context of the history Zahedi deconstructs.

Women of Impact: A Collaboration with impactmania
On view: July 14 – September 2, 2018
Panel Discussion, Book Signing, Reception: July 19, 5:30 – 7:30pm
The AD&A Museum is partnering with online platform, impactmania, to develop a unique and ongoing collaborative series of exhibitions, events, and student internships related to some of the most pressing issues of our times. The inaugural topic and exhibition, Women of Impact, highlights impactmania’s focus on women’s contributions to society.

Although most media would like us to believe that women have taken a backseat in driving cultural, social, and economic impact, impactmania has featured more than 130 female change-makers in 30 countries, including artists, ambassadors, impact investors, social entrepreneurs, scientists, and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Considering the current empowering spirit and the enduring equality issues raised by women, this theme is perfectly timed.

The exhibition at the AD&A Museum underscores some of the featured women’s contributions through audio/visual installations. Additionally, there will be opportunities for the public to add their own voice. This exhibition is complemented by a panel discussion on July 19th that includes women featured in the book from across the country, among them: Jean Kilbourne, Women Hall of Fame inductee 2017; Teresa Herd, Intel’s vice president Global Creative Direction; Laura Jana, M.D., award-winning author; Aliza Shvartz; artist and scholar; Jodie Grenier, former U.S. Marine Corp. and executive director, Foundation for Women Warriors; Teresa Goines, executive director, Old Skool Café; Masha Keating, artist; Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree, CEO and Chair of Pacific Air Industries and philanthropist; Carla De Landri, former senior producer "20/20" TV series and ABC News, Marla McNally Phillips, Broadway Producer, Miyoung Chun, scientist and entrepreneur, Thais Barros Beldi, Manager Strategy and Innovation, Facens University, from Brazil and Brittany Teei, Founder and CEO, KidsCoin from New Zealand; and others.