“Evita Tezeno: Out of Many” exhibition, spring 2023, at the Houston Museum of African American Culture. Photo provided by Christopher Blay.
The “Shaping the Arts” series highlights TCU College of Fine Arts students, faculty and alums who are at the forefront of their field and Lead On, Creatively.
We spoke to School of Art alumnus Christopher Blay ’03 about his role as chief curator at the Houston Museum of African American Culture and his commitment to telling stories that resonate both locally and internationally.
“I see curating exhibitions as an extension of my studio practice,” says Blay. “It’s finding a way to make sense of the nexus between ideas and materials.”
Career at the Houston Museum of African American Culture
Blay’s curatorial journey began with Group F8, a photography collective he co-founded while beginning his first year at TCU in 2000. Comprising eight members, the group collaborated for two years, before Blay pursued his own artistic ventures, marking his early beginnings in curating exhibitions.
Christopher Blay. Photo credit: Allison V. Smith
Blay’s curatorial path continued to evolve when he assumed the role of curator for Tarrant County College, a position he held from 2009 to 2019, where he oversaw the Art Corridor galleries on the Southeast campus. This invaluable experience ultimately paved the way for his current position as chief curator.
“Although I have the same methodology of research and inquiry as the profession demands, I wouldn’t consider myself an academic curator by any stretch of the imagination,” explains Blay. “I take the approach of music producer Rick Ruben, who said, ‘if you can see my hand and presence in the production, I have failed.’ In the end, it is about making sense of what the artist has produced and how it fits for the exhibition.”
The Houston Museum of African American Culture has been committed to showcasing works from some of the most influential artists of our generation and facilitating relevant conversations on race, equity and justice.
“Our future is bright and the small part that we play in that future is geared towards deeper connections with communities and publics that go beyond the walls of the museum and into the lives of the people who support us.”
The Houston Museum of African American Culture presents: Bert Long Jr. Gallery Spring Survey Exhibition. Photo provided by Christopher Blay.
Blay’s focus as a curator is to elevate featured artists’ voices to the forefront of contemporary art dialogue.
“There is a rich legacy of art created by Black artists that is still woefully underrepresented in our national institutions, and it is the mission of the Houston Museum of African American Culture to insist that those voices and the artists who speak to them loudly are heard,” says Blay. “We are probably the smallest museum on the block, and definitely the youngest in Houston, so our story is not yet finished.”