For Calida Rawles, having an exhibition of her art displayed at her alma mater Spelman College is more than just a homecoming, it’s an affirmation to all the Black students who want to pursue a career in the arts.
“I remember when this building was open and I remember I was very upset that students couldn’t show in it,” said Rawles, as she stood in the Olivia Hanks Cosby Academic Center at Spelman for the first preview of her new exhibit. “So the fact that my career got to a level where it would be in this museum and travel around the country is an honor.”
The 1998 graduate is a contemporary visual artist with work that has been featured across the country in museums like the Perez Art Museum in Miami and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.
Located at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, Rawles’ latest exhibit, Away with the Tides, officially opened March 27 and features a collection of paintings centered around subjects from Overtown, a historic Black neighborhood in Miami. The works blend hyperrealistic and abstract elements to portray Black residents submerged in different bodies of water, including the pool and the beach. The art tells a story about Overtown’s history and the resilience of its people.
In a conversation with Capital B Atlanta, Rawles talked about the inspiration behind her work, her time as student at Spelman, the challenges she’s faced as a Black woman in the arts, and how she’s worked to overcome them. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
What’s the history behind the art in this current exhibit at Spelman?
What happened with Overtown … a highway went right inside and destroyed it, disrupted thousands of residents — many of them lost their homes because of the highway. The federal highway act of 1956 hit so many Black and brown cities from around the country and I wanted to show that systematic racism is alive and well, and we’re watching the aftereffects of a lot of decisions that were purposeful.
The pieces in the exhibit center around water. For the Black diaspora there is a violent history with water, and so how do we hold the restorative nature of it, but also the trauma?
I learned to swim at a later age and it was really important to me to have that skill. I thought I could use my art as a way to show [water] to our community. … A lot of people think of swimming and water and surfing and all of that as somewhat outside of our community, but it’s been ours and I feel like I’m bringing it back to us.
It is both healing and destructive. No matter what I paint, whatever subject, that undercurrent is always there of talking about the balance of things. Some of the hardest times in my life came with a lot of joy at the same time. Water is a great metaphor of how life is. Sometimes big waves come and knock you down, and the only way to float is to breathe.
How has Spelman shaped you and your career?
Going to Spelman created my foundation. It was such an amazing school with a legacy that pushed women of color to thrive, to be their best, and I felt like they pushed me to think about issues from our lens, and that really shaped my practice.
I wanted to paint pictures or images about us, pushing us forward, being a positive influence, especially in this dark time. I’m proud of who I am, and I’m hoping it will have others proud of our legacy, show our agency, our power in any situation that we face.
What does it mean to you that your daughter is attending Spelman ?
I’m very excited to have my daughter be my sister Spelmanite. It’s an honor that she followed in my footsteps to come here. I’m happy that she’ll have the knowledge and experience of learning from such strong, amazing, influential women that push greatness out of you. Spelman is like a second home, and now my daughter will be able to feel that too.
Amy Sherald, another painter who took classes at Spelman with you, is your close friend. How has that relationship impacted your work?
Amy has been very instrumental in my development as an artist. Not only were we students together painting late at night, but there were times in my life where I did not think my art could be a career, and it was watching Amy’s development and her tenacity and resilience through things and continuing to paint that made me say, “You know what, I need to do it, too.’”
She was an inspiration for me as a friend. We went through a lot of different things in life and at times went [on] very different paths, but she inspired me to continue on, and I really appreciate that. Sometimes you need your sisters to keep you going, and she’s one of those sisters for me.
What have been some of the obstacles you’ve faced as a Black woman in the arts?
I think the biggest [barrier] was my own self doubt. I think that was the biggest challenge — believing I belonged on the wall. You’ll face racism, but you’ll find racism everywhere, or sexism. But I really do believe that the biggest one is that people, a lot of times, don’t show up because they don’t believe they need to go there or they’re not aggressive about things because they believe, “Oh, well, maybe they won’t like me.” Those are the things that are going to stop anybody.
Do you have any advice for Black women and girls who want to pursue a career in the arts?
Knowing your worth is very important. Having confidence in who you are and what you’re doing will radiate. And it doesn’t matter what field you’re in, if you know you’re the best, and you walk in the room like you’re the best, people will start to see you as the best.
Work all the time. Keep crafting. Don’t give up. I look at some of my older work, and I’m like, “Please, no one look at that,” but you just keep going. If you have an idea, put it out there. Don’t let someone question you. I mean, I’ve had ideas that people laughed about … but it took me to the path of where I am.
Away with the Tides will be on display at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art until Sept. 5. Visit Spelman’s website for more information.
