Episode No. 706 of The Modern Art Notes Podcast features curators Leslie King-Hammond and Edward Saywell, and curator Jared Ledesma.

Along with Patrick Murphy and Jennifer Farrell, Hammond and Saywell are the co-curators of “Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The exhibition surveys Wilson’s 60-year career, spotlighting the ways in which Wilson addressed anti-Black violence, the civil rights movement, labor, family life, and more. “Wilson” is on view in Boston through June 22 before traveling to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York in the fall. The richly illustrated exhibition catalogue was published by the MFA. It is available from Amazon and Bookshop for about $50.

Discussed on the program:

• For Wilson’s 2001 The Richard Wright Suite, please see here.

Ledesma is the curator of “Grace Hartigan: The Gift of Attention” at the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh. The exhibition is a focused examination of how Hartigan’s relationships with New York poets, including Barbara Guest, James Merrill, and Frank O’Hara, influenced her paintings and works on paper. It is on view through August 10, 2025 before traveling to the Portland (Me.) Museum of Art and the Sheldon Museum of Art, University of Nebraska, Lincoln. An excellent catalogue was published by the museum. Amazon and Bookshop offer it for around $35.

Discussed on the program:

• For Hartigan’s 1960 The Hero Leaves His Ship series, please see here.
• For Hartigan’s 1962-66 The Archaics series, please see here.

Instagram: Jared Ledesma, Tyler Green.

Air date: May 15, 2025.