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Mickalene Thomas on Reimagining Beauty
The following description was submitted by the event organizer.
Renowned for her luminous, rhinestone-adorned compositions and her profound explorations of Black womanhood, love, desire, and celebration, Mickalene Thomas is recognized as one of the most influential voices in contemporary art. In this moderated conversation at PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater, she will reflect on her creative practice, formative influences, evolving artistic vision, and current projects.
Mickalene Thomas, who went to college in Portland and traces her life as an artist back to a transformative 1994 viewing of Carrie Mae Weems’ photography at the Portland Art Museum, comes to PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater in conjunction with the September 6 opening of PAM’s special exhibition Global Icons, Local Spotlight: Contemporary Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer in which her work is featured, especially fitting for an artist who began her career in Portland and continues to redefine contemporary art on the global stage. Thomas, whose 2016 video installation Do I Look Like a Lady? (Comedians and Singers) will be featured in PAM’s new Black Art & Experiences Gallery, which was honored for her boundary-expanding work at PAM CUT’s Cinema Unbound Awards in 2024.
During this moderated conversation, Thomas will offer insight into her creative process, artistic influences, evolving vision, and ongoing projects. The evening will also feature a special screening of Thomas’ moving short documentary, Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman, a portrait of her mother and muse, Sandra Bush–a former runway model whose life story is filled with dreams, resilience, and redemption. Don’t miss this rare chance to connect with an artist whose vision continues to redefine contemporary art on the global stage.
Mickalene will be joined in conversation with special guest Thomas Lauderdale, who worked on her short film Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman.
Photo © Emil Horowitz, 2023.
ON SCREEN: Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman
2012. Directed by Mickalene Thomas. Runtime: 23 minutes.
Globally renowned multidisciplinary artist Mickalene Thomas pays tribute to the life, dreams, and enduring spirit of her mother and muse, Sandra Bush, in this deeply personal documentary short. A former runway model with a life marked by both aspiration and adversity, Sandra emerges as a complex and compelling figure—full of longing, resilience, regrets, and redemption. Through an intimate interview and archival footage, “Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman” is an emotional portrait of a woman who not only shaped her daughter’s life but also profoundly influenced her artistic vision. Serving as model, mentor, and muse, Sandra Bush is immortalized through Thomas’s lens, offering viewers a tender exploration of family, memory, and creative legacy.