The University of Kentucky Art Museum presents “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” an exhibition exploring the complexity of Black girls’ emotional lives as portrayed in a range of artworks, from 1930s painted portraits to 21st century photography. On display through Aug. 2, the exhibition is featured as part of the UK College of Arts and Science’s “WE ARE THE CULTURE: A Symposium on Black Girls & Girlhood,” hosted by the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies on March 7-8, at The Campbell House in Lexington.
Drawing inspiration from the childhood song “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” the exhibition highlights the artistic and social traditions of Black girls, exploring themes of joy, resilience, self-expression and inexpression as strategic resistance. The featured works depict Black girls at the forefront of profound social changes, from the Great Migration and Civil Rights movement to the Women’s March and Black Lives Matter.
Artists in the exhibition include Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Frank Döring, Larry Fink, Edward Franklin Fisk, Baldwin S. Lee, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, RaMell Ross, Lorna Simpson, Alexandra Soteriou, Kara Walker and Carrie Mae Weems.
As part of the symposium’s programming, a special exhibition reception will offer attendees an opportunity to engage with the artwork and explore its connections to broader conversations on Black girlhood. The symposium, marking the 30th anniversary of the Black Women’s Conference, also includes:
- Keynote talks by Black girlhood scholars Régine Jean-Charles, Kyra Gaunt and Ashleigh Greene Wade
- Creativity as theory and methods workshops
- Editorial sessions with Dawn Durante (UNC Press) and Dominique Moore (University of Illinois Press)
- A screening of “Ampe: Leap Into The Sky, Black Girl,” followed by a discussion with directors Claudia Owusu and Ifa Oluwamuyide
- Traditional hand-clapping games and giveaways
Admission is free with registration. Learn more and register at cibs.as.uky.edu/2025-bw.