Carrie Mae Weems Comes To UMS For Residency In Ann Arbor And Detroit

The University Musical Society (UMS) will present the renowned photographer and visual artist Carrie Mae Weems in her theatrical work Past Tense on Friday, February 15 and Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 8 pm at the Power Center (121 Fletcher Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109). The origins of Past Tense lies in Weems's powerful work Grace Notes, which was inspired by President Obama singing "Amazing Grace" in the wake of the 2015 shooting that killed nine African-American members of a church in Charleston, SC. Through music, text, projection, and video, Past Tense uses the lens of race and its relationship to authority to draw parallels to the classic play Antigone.

In the days leading up to the performances, Weems and accompanying ensemble members will participate in a series of related events in Ann Arbor and Detroit that further explore the themes presented on the stage. A full listing of events is included at the bottom of this release. In addition to the public events, she and her cast will be visiting University of Michigan classes on the History of Human Experimentation, Engaging Performance, and members of the Michigan Health Studies Scholars to talk further about the work and its meaning in today's climate.

Widely considered one of the most influential contemporary American artists, Carrie Mae Weems has developed a complex body of art employing photographs, text, fabric, audio, digital images, installation, and video. She has sustained an ongoing dialogue within contemporary discourse for over 30 years, investigating family relationships, cultural identity, sexism, class, political systems, and the consequences of power. In addition to making her UMS theater debut, she is serving as the Carr Center's resident artist in visual art in Detroit this season, where she is creating unique experiences for a group of 10 students from diverse artistic disciplines and backgrounds. She is also receiving the Alain Locke award on Sunday, February 10 at the Detroit Institute of Arts for her work examining the complex legacy of African American identity, class, and culture in the United States.

Weems says, "While working on Grace Notes, it occurred to me that I was telling the story of Antigone, wherein an innocent man dies by unjustified means, and his sister fights for the right to bury him honorably. But the wider community refuses her; her right to justice, and to peace, is denied." Weems, looking for permission to "bury our brothers," incorporates video of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and Eric Garner, among others, in this meditation and response to violence against Black people at the hands of law enforcement and others in authority.

Tickets for Past Tense are on sale now through the UMS Ticket Office. Contact 734.764.2538 or visit ums.org/pasttense for additional information about the performances and related events.

The UMS presentation of Past Tense is made possible in part by Michigan Medicine and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Endowment Fund.