“Lineage + Inheritance,” an exhibition featuring new artwork by four Black visual artists based in San Diego, serves as a dialogue between different generations and their perspectives on the current experience of Black people.
The exhibition presents the work of artists Domonique King, Jean Cornwell Wheat, Mensah Bey, and Andrea Rushing, showcasing a diverse range of media that includes oil on canvas, hand-embellished acrylic prints on paper, as well as acrylic on board or wood, metal, yarn, and textiles.
At the age of 81, Jean Cornwell Wheat stands out as a long-time artist and educator in San Diego, with her work featured in local exhibitions and collected by notable figures.
“Jean is a friend, a mentor who has become family, and I truly believe she is one of our region’s living legends. She’s a sculptor, painter, poet, educator, and at 81 years young, has self-identified as an artist for almost all of her life. The depth and breadth of her creative practice continues to blow my mind,” says Kamaal Martin, curator of the exhibition and a founding partner of Art Power Equity, which supports underrepresented artists.
“Jean has sold work to people like Stevie Wonder, Johnny Carson, Diana Ross, Yoko Ono, and has a recent piece in the permanent collection of the San Diego Museum of Art. Her ability to keep expanding the limits of the mediums she works with is absolutely brilliant.”
“Lineage + Inheritance” is on display at Art Produce in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood through April 19, accompanied by an artist talk event from 1 to 3 p.m. today.
The exhibition is created in partnership with the Black Studies Project at UC San Diego. Cornwell Wheat, who teaches at San Pasqual Academy, a boarding school for foster youth, took some time with Martin to discuss her work and the exhibition.
During the interview, the conversation began with Martin sharing his thought process for assembling the exhibition.
“The first questions I considered as I crafted the exhibition in my mind were material and physical: How much time do we have? How much space do we have? That informed my thinking about how to show and what to show. More importantly, why are we showing and who is it for? The constraints of time and space helped me frame the idea of a small group of artists, particularly artists with whom I already had some form of working and/or personal relationship,” Martin explained.
He continued, “I’m often thinking about ways we can make an exhibition last ‘forever.’ The concept of forever is really the genesis for the theme of ‘Lineage + Inheritance’—the idea of an unbroken chain of creators in community and eternal dialogue who are influenced by those that preceded them, and in turn influence those who come after them, intentionally or not.”
When asked why he chose these four artists, Martin elaborated on the criteria he used to make his selection.
“A number of themes surfaced that became the criteria in my exploration of whose work to show and what conversation I want to participate in. Elements like technical execution, attention to detail, composition, originality, emotion, intent, and impact became priorities,” he said.
“I believe each of these four artists embodies those characteristics distinctly, and some exemplifying them in particularly powerful ways. The number ‘4’ emerged as a primordial and archetypal symbol and system—the four basic elements, the four seasons, the four cardinal directions, the four suits in a deck of cards, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the Fantastic Four, etc. This show was a chance to assemble a team of creative super-heroes!”
The conversation then turned to the meaning behind the terms “lineage” and “inheritance,” which led to Cornwell Wheat’s response.
“My family,” she said simply when asked what comes to mind when she thinks about these words.
Reflecting on the exhibition’s description, which articulates how each piece of artwork frames a specific generational perspective on the life and liberation of Black people, Cornwell Wheat identified herself as a member of the early baby boomer generation and discussed how this shapes her perspective.
“I have always been ready to fight for my rights as an American citizen. In the past, I have been a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a participant in the March on Washington, and many other demonstrations. At this point in my life, I realize that it is up to the generations of the future to make this a better world for themselves and their children,” she stated.
When asked what a Black aesthetic grounded in community participation looks like, Cornwell Wheat expressed her individual experience.
“I’m a human being who happens to be African American. I am an artist who happens to be African American who is finally able to create whatever image I desire. I can paint a portrait of Dr. King, or I can create an image of a fish with the same passion,” she explained.
Proceeding to inquire about the messages of Black liberation, lineage, and inheritance that she hoped to convey through her artwork, Cornwell Wheat stated that her work has a more abstract basis.
“It has nothing to do with any of that. They are all abstractions that have nothing to do with liberation or lineage,” she asserted.
Discussing her upbringing, Cornwell Wheat shared insights into her early life in Harlem, New York, and how it has influenced her artistic journey.
“The characters in my family had the most influence on who I am today. My family was very diverse. There were fishermen, artists and printers, tailors, professional gamblers, and housekeepers. I’ve drawn from all of this in my career as an artist,” she reflected.
Cornwell Wheat also recounted her beginnings in art, recalling a pivotal moment in her childhood.
“My earliest memory of being fascinated with the process of making art was underneath my grandmother’s wooden table where I created my first Sistine Chapel. I had two uncles in Philly, Uncle Ben and Uncle Bill, who were professional artists who told me that I had the bug. It allowed me to believe in myself. It opened up a door. I was 13 years old.”
She continued by revealing the moment she made the decision to pursue art as a profession, tying it to a significant life change.
“In 1977, when I became a single mother, I needed to be able to support myself and my family. So, I studied advertising art at San Diego City College. Four years later, I went back and received a degree in fine arts and art education. This allowed me to teach African American art history for the next 14 years and support myself and my family as I pursued my career as an artist,” Cornwell Wheat explained.
Finally, when reflecting on the innovations and trends in Black aesthetics she has observed over her lifetime, Cornwell Wheat spoke about their rise in media recognition.
“African American art, or art produced by African Americans, was popularized in the media by television shows such as ‘Good Times’ and ‘The Cosby Show.’ Museums, galleries, and art collectors throughout the country jumped on the gravy train and recognized the long-ignored value of African American art.”
Through “Lineage + Inheritance,” the artists’ work is aimed at illuminating shared experiences and encouraging dialogue within and beyond the Black community, making the exhibition a significant event not only for San Diego but for contemporary art discourse.
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