Jamea Richmond-Edwards
Overview
The artists’ collective Delusions of Grandeur was founded in 2010 by Wesley Clark, Larry Cook, Shaunté Gates, Jamea Richmond-Edwards, Amber Robles-Gordon, and Stan Squirewell. Initially connecting as young members of Black Artists of DC (BADC), a local non-profit dedicated to the advancement of Afrocentric art in Washington, DC, they were inspired to create their own creative network modeled after the organizing efforts of the established artists in the group and predecessor collectives such as AfriCOBRA. From its inception, Delusions of Grandeur artists have felt a shared imperative to support and encourage each other’s work and careers by partnering on exhibitions and providing critical feedback on their various studio practices.
The collective’s tongue-in-cheek moniker reflects their belief that pursuing art as a vocation requires a certain amount of blind faith, luck, and hard work. For fifteen years, Delusions of Grandeur members have uplifted and sustained each other’s growth in myriad ways, even as their work and lives have taken them in different directions. Now, as established educators and midcareer artists, they share the lessons they have learned with a younger generation of creatives, extolling the importance of forming an artistic network.
The exhibition’s title, EXODUS, refers to the long and difficult journey of navigating the art world and the challenges inherent in the creative process, while signifying an exciting, if uncertain, voyage ahead. Accordingly, the exhibition—curated by collective member Jamea Richmond-Edwards—includes archival material highlighting this self-actualized artistic community alongside new work in various mediums by each member. EXODUS is not only a record of the group’s past activities, but also a representation of the continuously unfolding alliance of friends and peers over many years of collaboration.