Serpentwithfeet

The renowned painter hosts her favorite musicians on the island for performances June 20-21 in The Glade at 10:00 pm
Born in Columbus, Georgia, and now based in the New York City area, Amy Sherald documents contemporary African American experience in the United States through arresting, intimate portraits. Sherald engages with the history of photography and portraiture, inviting viewers to participate in a more complex debate about accepted notions of race and representation, and to situate Black life in American art. Sherald received her MFA in painting from Maryland Institute College of Art and her BA in painting from Clark-Atlanta University. Sherald was the first woman and first African American to ever receive the grand prize in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition from the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. In 2018, Sherald was selected by First Lady Michelle Obama to paint her official portrait for the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Her first major museum solo exhibition and mid-career survey, “Amy Sherald: American Sublime” is currently on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and travels to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. in the fall.

serpentwithfeet is an avant-garde R&B vocalist and performance artist whose body of work is rooted in dueling obsessions with the ephemeral and the everlasting – key components of his artistic journey from a childhood stint as a choirboy in Baltimore through his time at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where he studied music.

serpent’s vision is crafted and honed from myriad inspirations: authors like Essex Hemphill; towering works like Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon; icons like Geoffrey Holder and Brandy. All of it refracts into serpent’s singular voice and artistry. He has written music for film and TV shows like The Inspection and Love, Victor, and his collaborations range from the experimental to adult contemporary with features on songs from Björk, Daniel Caesar, Virgil Abloh, Ellie Goulding and Ty Dolla $ign.

In 2023, serpent toured Heart of Brick, a theatrical dance and music production he conceived. The evocative performance was directed by Wu Tsang and choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly; Designer Carlos Soto and poet Donte Collins completed the team of luminous artists. Heart of Brick was co-commissioned by: The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, The Joyce Theater Foundation, The International Summer Festival (Kampnagel), and The LA Phil.