Lookout! Gallery exhibition honors historical Black resort town
By Alyssa Perera, The State News
Friday evening the second floor of Snyder-Phillips Hall brought students dinner and a show. Artists George Thomas and Lydia Marie Hicks hosted a reception in the building’s Lookout! Gallery. Their exhibit, “4 George: An Idlewild Aenon” has been the gallery’s subject since August 28 and will continue to be available for viewing until October 7.
Idlewild, Michigan is known for being a historic resort town and is often referred to as “Black Eden.” Thomas and Hicks met in Idlewild and have since collaborated, using their art to honor the town through different mediums. Sculptures, paintings, textile art, banners and projections have been used to help to show characteristics of the town in which they created their art.
Thomas and Hicks met through a mutual in Idlewild. Hicks said they hit it off and they began to meet once a week as a studio visit, and work on pieces.
“One of the most moving things for me,” Hicks said, “is he said he just wanted to make art with me for the rest of his life, and I was like, ‘Well, I’m obsessed with Idlewild, so let’s focus on creating pieces around our memories and also all of the archival pieces that come out of different things and what people loan and everything.’”
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