Theaster Gates is Making Sure the Stuff of Black Lives Matter in This Washington, D.C. Museum

The artist Theaster Gates is a master of transforming the neglected. He has turned dilapidated buildings on Chicago’s South Side into vibrant arts centers and forged charged artworks out of seemingly quotidian materials, like paintings made from segments of fire hoses—a tool of safety sometimes wielded for oppression. For his new exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., which runs through September 4, the artist is making works from the slate roof of an abandoned church, the floor of a high school gymnasium, and a shoe-shine stand, all salvaged from Chicago. “The show is a glimpse into the wonder that I have with things not seen and under-cared for,” he said. Its title, “The Minor Arts,” refers to crafts, a field Gates believes that art history has viewed as “a minor contribution to the overall canon,” not unlike the way that black lives have been marginalized “as contributors to both culture and humanity in America.” In this moment of national anxiety, he noted, “I wanted to ensure that sculpture, people, and black things continue to matter.”