Celebrating Painter's Refuge: A Way of Life

Join us in celebrating the Painter's Refuge: A Way of Life exhibition and catalogue. With a collection of written analyses, essays, and photos that capture the richness of the exhibition, this catalogue is a special item that greatly reflects the artist and the timelessness of his works.

The celebration includes a discussion with rising artist and North Carolina-born Reginald Sylvester II, led by curator Maya Brooks. This conversation centers around the contents of the catalogue, the exhibition, and ultimately how Sylvester's journey further adds to the nuance of Black art and culture. Following the discussion, guests can share their perspectives and ask the artist questions surrounding his solo show Painter's Refuge: A Way of Life and the catalogue.

Purchase Catalogue

Purchase the exhibition catalogue, while supplies last, during this program and get it signed! The catalogue is also available for purchase via our online museum store.

Buy Here

During your visit, take in the Painter’s Refuge exhibition before or after the program.

Program Simulcast

If you can't join us in person, this program will be simulcasted on our YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Reginald Sylvester II is an American artist working predominantly in abstraction. Questioning his position as an artist in a time of moral crises, Sylvester seeks to integrate his personal politics within his art practice to create work which is rooted in social realities and guided by his spirituality. Many of his paintings are large-scale, featuring gestural mark making with layers of paint applied in a physically demanding process. Recently, Sylvester has begun experimenting with new materials, including rope, ex-military material, and rubber. Like assemblage artists before him, Sylvester is interested in the tactility of these materials and the histories they signify, in this way he moves beyond painting into the realm of object making.

More About Reginald Sylvester II

• In the Studio with Reginald Sylvester II
• Rising Painter Reginald Sylvester II Finds Refuge in Abstraction

Maya Brooks is the Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at the North Carolina Museum of Art and Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, an intermediary position that forges her passion for technology with art history through exhibition curation and interpretation. Her professional mission is to provide equitable museum experiences for diverse populations. Overall, Brooks strive to restore access, inclusion, and agency in the museum field for historically marginalized communities.

A Way of Life

Open Air: Artist Talk with Reginald Sylvester II

Originally aired June 14, 2022.