The Menil Collection The Menil Collection

Artist Jamal Cyrus joins Michelle White, the Menil’s Senior Curator, for a conversation about his recent work, including Misconstrued Rap Lyric #1, 2019, and how it addresses urgent questions about justice, history and memory. One of the Menil’s most recent acquisitions, this sculpture is currently installed in the museum’s foyer, where it is visible from outside of the front entrance.

A short Q&A will follow the conversation. You are invited to submit your questions in advance and during the program to programs@menil.org.

Born in Houston in 1973, where he currently lives and works, Jamal Cyrus is known for his conceptual, research-driven practice that explores gaps in historical knowledge. Using an interdisciplinary approach, he examines the trajectories of Black political movements in the United States, creative flow within the African diaspora, and the impacts of social injustice. Cyrus received his BFA from the University of Houston in 2004 and his MFA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008. In 2005, he attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and in 2010, he was an Artist in Residence at Artpace San Antonio. He has won numerous grants and awards including the Driskell Prize, awarded by the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, a Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant, the BMW Art Journey Award, the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award, the Artadia Houston Award, and the Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship. He has participated in national and international exhibitions, and his work is in numerous public collections. Cyrus is also a founding member of the artist collective Otabenga Jones and Associates.

In Dialogue is the Menil Collection’s new series of live, online conversations. Menil curators are joined by notable scholars, artists, and art professionals for engaging discussions about the museum’s collection, current exhibitions, and ideas shaping contemporary discourses about art.

All programs are free and open to everyone.