On Oct. 21, UC San Diego alumna Carrie Mae Weems received the National Medal of Arts at a White House ceremony presented by President Joe Biden. Weems is known for her explorations of cultural identity, social justice, and personal narratives through photography and multimedia.
Other recipients of this award included creatives such as artist and producer Melissa Elliott, the late singer Selena Quintanilla, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, and visual artist Mark Bradford, among others.
Weems earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in photography from UCSD in 1984. She is the first Black woman contemporary artist to earn this award, which has been presented yearly by the President of the United States since 1984.
The National Medal of Arts honors individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the arts, advancing cultural growth and inspiring public appreciation in fields like visual arts, literature, and music. Recipients are selected based on artistic excellence, enduring influence, and impact on American arts and culture.
Ava Kam, a third-year UCSD studio art major, spoke to the significance of a UCSD alumna winning this award. “It’s inspiring me to transcend my limits of what I think my limits are as an artist, skills-wise and content-wise. I’m encouraged by how personal and true to herself her works are, even though the scale and production are increasingly huge and public.”
Weems’ photography examines the intersections of gender identity, racial heritage, and family dynamics, documenting moments and narratives that engage with traditional viewpoints, such as socially-rooted concepts related to gender roles, race, and family dynamics.
Her “Kitchen Table Series” features black-and-white photographs that Weems has positioned around a single kitchen table. In each image, a woman, often portrayed by the artist herself, appears in various everyday scenes, sometimes alone and at other times with children, family, or a partner. She arranges items such as cigarettes, books, and wine glasses to reflect aspects of domestic life. Each photograph captures a moment of interactions among individuals, leaving the nature of these relationships open to the viewer’s interpretation.
In an interview with BOMB magazine, Weems said, “‘Kitchen Table’ doesn’t really belong to me anymore. I was the conduit for it. But it actually belongs to those people who engage in it. … It’s much bigger than I am.”
Weems has frequently commented on the representation of African-American women in popular culture and fine art, and she continues to produce work that explores this subject.
Weems noted in her interview, “There are so few images of African-American women circulating in popular culture or fine art, and that is disturbing. But in the face of this refusal, I insist on making work that includes us as part of the greater whole.”
UCSD students can look to Carrie Mae Weem receiving the National Medal of Arts as an example of what’s possible through dedication and artistic vision.
Some of her other notable works include “Louisiana Project,” a photographic project from 2003; “Manding,” a photographic project from 2010; and “Grace Notes: Reflections for Now,” a multimedia performance from 2016, among other pieces.
