Each year, Sidwell hosts a guest artist as part of the Rubenstein Guest Artist program. The artist’s work is showcased in Sidwell’s art gallery, and the artist has the opportunity to speak to Sidwell students, parents, faculty and staff.
This year’s featured Rubenstein guest artist is Nekisha Durrett, a local artist from the Washington area known for her innovative mixed-media approach that sheds light on historical narratives and social justice issues.
Durrett’s artistic process involves an exploration of places, histories and communities, offering viewers a broader understanding of how information evolves over time. Her current exhibition at the Kogod Arts Center, titled “100 Years | 100 Women,” features an installation of fallen magnolia leaves.
Durrett began the project in response to George Floyd’s death in 2020, as well as the #SayHerName movement. Prompted by a sudden awareness that numerous Black women were falling victim to police violence, she embarked on a journey to delve beyond the more familiar names and highlight the stories of Black women who were being forgotten.
The symbolic magnolia leaves, chosen for their resilience against the elements, tell the stories of 20 Black women who lost their lives due to police brutality. These leaves, perforated to spell out the victims’ names, rest atop a light box, creating a visually striking and emotionally resonant experience for the audience.
“Golden brown and tough as leather on one side, velvety soft on the other, fallen magnolia leaves possess an often uncelebrated radiance and resilience,” Durret explained in her artist’s statement. “For many, the magnolia flower is the showstopper. However, it is the magnolia leaf that long after its death withstands rain, wind, and the lawn mower—bedeviling gardeners who find them a hassle to compost or discard. Even after death, the leaf refuses to be erased and forgotten.”
Durrett’s artistic journey has been shaped by her roots in Upper Marlboro, Md. and her education at the Duke Ellington School of Arts in Washington, where she now teaches.
Durrett received a BFA from The Cooper Union in New York City and an MFA from The University of Michigan School of Art and Design.
Her portfolio spans public design, paintings, sculptures and installations, with exhibitions in places ranging from Times Square to the National Portrait Gallery.
Durrett’s impactful contributions have earned her recognition on Washingtonian’s 40 under 40 list. In addition, Durrett is a Howard University Social Justice Consortium Fellow and a Horace H. Rackham Fellow, and she was a finalist for the 2023 Janet and Walter Sondheim Art Prize.
Noteworthy among her past works are stained glass windows that adorn the Phillips Collection Museum in Dupont Circle. Projects like “And the Ancestors Say” at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Georgetown and “Heaven Lasts Forever” in the Parks at Walter Reed underscore her commitment to embedding meaningful narratives in public spaces.
Durrett’s most recent project, “Queen City,” is a towering structure in Arlington, Va., commemorating the Black community displaced for the Pentagon’s construction in 1941.
In collaboration with 17 Black ceramists, she crafted a 35-foot sculpture using reclaimed bricks and wood, featuring 903 tear-shaped vessels, each symbolizing an individual displaced during the construction period.
Durrett’s artwork will be on display at the Kogod Arts Center at Sidwell’s campus through November.
