The Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art at the University of Richmond has opened its spring season with three new exhibitions centered on themes of lineage, place, and blackness. The shows include a newly commissioned, full-gallery installation by sculptor Abigail DeVille, an exhibition titled 'Black Work: Absence/Absorption' exploring the material and perceptual qualities of blackness, and 'Politics of Place,' a film-focused exhibition examining geography's influence on identity and power.
These exhibitions are part of the university's broader Tucker–Boatwright Festival of Literature and the Arts, which this year expands on the theme of 'Reconstruction.' The programming highlights the museum's role as a site for scholarly and artistic collaboration, featuring original research and commissioned work that engages with historical narratives, mental health, and liberation through contemporary visual art and film.