Join us on Friday June 20th at 7pm in celebrating the world premiere of Marcus Leslie Singleton: New Steps, the first solo museum exhibition dedicated to Singleton's nuanced, deeply intimate paintings of Black American communities.

In early 2024, Marcus Leslie Singleton participated in a month-long artist residency at La Four­chette de Rōze, a boutique hotel in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. For Singleton, who paints people engaged in everyday activities around his neighborhoods, this new locale offered subject matter simultaneously novel and familiar. “As an American there is a magnetic tussle between strange­ness and familiarity,” Singleton said. “And this was a similar feeling I had in Côte d’Ivoire.”

A constant observer, Singleton writes, sketches, photographs, and records his surroundings, using a notebook, his phone, or a point-and-shoot digital camera. Sometimes he jots down sentences about what he’s seeing, hearing, or even smelling. These notes, in their varying forms, become a kind of catalog of experiences, one that Singleton reviews and selects from to make his paintings.

The artist uses the metaphor of a sponge to describe his time at the residency—he soaked up as much as he could, and, returning to his studio, squeezes out those experiences into his work. The influence of his trip to West Africa is evident in the settings of his paintings, with the vibrant textures and patterns of the interiors of Abidjan locals’ homes. But Singleton’s technique has evolved as well—his color choices are now tied to feeling rather than exclusively to visual repre­sentation, a freedom unlocked by soaking up the brilliant colors he encountered through Côte d’Ivoire architecture.

Primarily a figurative painter, Singleton believes that interpersonal relationships are foundational to societies based anywhere, be it West Africa or North America. Through his work, he expresses ideas about communication and connection.

As the title suggests, this exhibition presents the results of the new steps Singleton took following his return to his studio. Completely new work, which will include paintings inspired by Côte d’Ivoire and scenes from New York City, will be displayed alongside other recent paintings. New Steps will also feature two video works. This is Singleton’s first solo museum exhibition in the United States.

The presentation of Marcus Leslie Singleton: New Steps at CAC is supported by George and Linda Kurz.

CAC major annual operating support is provided by ArtsWave, Bartlett Wealth Management, Ronald Bates & Randy Lasley, Gale & Dave Beckett, Jim Cheng, Robert Chavez, Friedlander Family Fund, Andrew Howe Family Foundation, The Johnson Foundation, Maria Kalomenidou & Yannis Skoufalis, Kettering Family Foundation, Emily Kokenge, The Kroger Company, George & Linda Kurz, Bruce Lazarus & Phil Weintraub, Rick Michelman & Karen Meyer, Barbara K. Myers, the Ohio Arts Council, P&G Fund, Jennie Rosenthal, The Rosenthal Family Foundation, Tom Schiff, John J. & Mary R. Schiff Foundation, Rosemary & Mark Schlachter, Sara & Michelle Vance Waddell, and Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc.

Curated by

Theresa Bembnister, CAC Curator