Artist Kare’ Williams paints reflection of the Black American experience in ‘Dancing in the Rain’ – The Daily Northwestern

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The Dittmar Gallery closed out its latest exhibition, “Dancing in the Rain” by artist Kare’ Williams, on Wednesday.
The exhibit featured original pieces by Williams that depict typical Black American experiences — from art that portrays police brutality to celebrating joy through music. It ran from Jan. 29 to March 4.
Williams’ artwork examines the ambiguous relationship between Black identity and Americanism. Through multimedia collages and visual art, Williams said he wants viewers to ask themselves “What does the term ‘American’ mean, and what does it mean to you?”
“I feel like my presence in this country isn’t wanted or respected,” Williams said. “So how can we attach the term ‘American’ if the American dream was never my dream?”
Williams said his artwork is inspired by his life and his own Black experience. After being unable to work on his art for a year while finding places to stay, Williams turned to art to cope.
The exhibit was made up of predominantly mixed media with a singular sculpture in the middle, called the “Rain Catcher.” Williams said he uses “found material” — natural or man-made items that artists repurpose into art. He incorporates everyday items like cans and paper litter into his projects.
A central theme in the exhibit is how Black Americans turn the negatives they are handed into positive outcomes. Williams said the artwork was a product of personal reflection on the lows he endured over the past two years.
Williams also said he struggled to find a balance between painting and collaging in the pieces of this exhibition. Even though he said he loves painting, he has to think carefully before placing the objects. 
“I kind of think of my painting as like a puzzle,” Williams said. “I like to put pieces together.”
The exhibit was arranged in three distinct acts: The Motive, The Dance and The Rain/Cleansing. The left side of the gallery, The Motive, represented the adversity Black Americans face through systematic violence. The right side, The Dance, represented the art Black Americans have created despite their oppression.
Williams constructed a rain catcher using aluminum cans for the center of the gallery. Videos of homes being destroyed by Hurricane Katrina played in the background, symbolizing the destruction of Black communities by rain. However, it also offers renewal and washes away negative experience from The Motive.
Communication junior Gabby Gutierrez, the lead curator for the exhibit, said planning the exhibit during Black History Month was intentional. She said she appreciated that Dittmar gave a space to address important issues and celebrate joy.
“I decided to take on this project because I really love (Williams’) work,” Gutierrez said. “I paint also, so I just feel like his ideas and his methods really align with the way that I think about art.”
Communication first-year Adrianah Distant visited the exhibit with her Black Mindfulness Literature class. 
She said the trip’s main aim was to allow students to feel rather than understand and to be open to the messages the artist was trying to communicate. 
“When I walked into this very secluded and peaceful room, I was really impacted emotionally and it made me less stressed,” Distant said. 
Distant said she saw many connections between the artwork and her own life, envisioning her and her grandmother upon viewing a piece depicting the culture of Black churches.
“I just feel like I was entering a different atmosphere, like a different world, almost,” Distant said. 
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Related Stories:
— Local Black artists highlight community building during Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre event
— Chicago poet Imani Jackson reflects on family, nature in Black Arts Consortium event
— Dittmar Gallery hosts community show ‘Metamorphosis,’ explores themes of evolution and transformation

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