The Politics of Hair

Running now through March 14 at the Thomas Center Main Gallery is a new art exhibit, HAIRPOLITIC: Pomade in America. The exhibit, by artist Kenya Robinson, a Gainesville native now living in Brooklyn, is one that should not be missed. Kenya, who is also a writer, designer and professional muse, weaves items such as brushes, picks, synthetic hair, latex sheets and screws to create pieces that beyond just being beautiful also speak to the idea of what it is to be a black woman in America.

“In our collective memory, black women have expressed political points of view (sometimes unconsciously), social class, imagination and frustration, without saying a word," Kenya said in a press release. "Black hair seems to engage a silent dialogue amid the many visual cues that define and redefine blackness in the American context.”

On Feb. 12, from 5 to 8pm, the Thomas Center will host a free public reception in the Spanish Court as part of the Thomas Center's 100th Anniversary celebration. The Thomas Center is located at 302 NE 6th Ave.