Public Tour

Jeffrey Gibson: This Is the Day highlights new developments in the artist’s genre-bridging practice. The exhibition features over fifty works made between 2014 and 2018 including intricately beaded wall hangings and punching bags, paintings, ceramics, garments, helmets, and a new video commissioned for the exhibition, I Was Here (2018). The film follows Macy, a trans-Choctaw woman living on a reservation in rural Mississippi, melding documentary and fantastical elements in a way that harkens back to independent films from the 1980s and 90s such as “Bagdad Cafe” (1987) and “My Own Private Idaho” (1991).

In his work, Gibson (b. 1972; based in Claverack, New York) brings together his Choctaw and Cherokee heritage and a range of diverse artistic and cultural influences to explore race, sexuality, religion, and gender. Gibson’s art often joins exuberant colors, patterns, and materials with text borrowed from such authors as James Baldwin and Simone de Beauvoir or song lyrics by Grace Jones, Boy George, and other musicians. These combinations highlight the unexpected connections between ceremonies and performances found in Native American powwow rituals, dance clubs, and drag shows, underscoring the complex vitality of Gibson’s eclectic sources.

This exhibition will be on view in our Butler Gallery, located on the ground floor of the museum.

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Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the tour. Our tours can accommodate large groups, but we encourage you to check-in with our Visitor Services Desk to secure your place.

Free admission on Thursdays.

The Blanton is located at the intersection of Congress Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Paid parking is available in the Brazos Garage on Brazos Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Parking is $4; bring your ticket with you to the museum.