Berea College Doris Ulmann Galleries Present First-Ever Full Showing of Sonya Clark’s “1-877-OUR-CURL”

BEREA, Ky. - This fall, Berea College’s Doris Ulmann Galleries will present “Sonya Clark: 1-877-OUR-CURL,” an exhibition featuring the work of internationally recognized multimedia artist Sonya Clark. This is the first time Clark’s letterpress print series will be showcased in its entirety.

Clark will give an artist talk in conjunction with the exhibition’s opening at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Phelps Stokes Chapel on Berea College’s campus, with a reception to follow at the Rogers-Traylor Art Building. All are welcome; no RSVP required. 

“1-877-OUR-CURL” is a multimedia work that combines spoken-word poetry from seven Black femme poets whose voices can be heard reading in chorus or individually when Clark’s custom phone number is dialed. Their poems are accompanied by transcriptions that have been letterpress-printed in “Twist,” a custom digital typeface Clark developed with a graphic designer to mimic the natural curl patterns of Black hair. 

Sonya Clark is the Winifred Arms Professor of Arts at Amherst College in Massachusetts. Previously, she chaired the Craft/Material Studies Department at Virginia Commonwealth University for 12 years. She holds four honorary doctorates and graduated from Amherst College, Cranbrook Academy of Art and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Clark’s work has been exhibited in more than 500 museums and galleries worldwide. This year, Clark was a recipient of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship. 

Clark’s artistic process is grounded in the exchange of stories and the transmission of craft techniques between individuals, communities and generations. 

 “I mindfully contribute to the ancestral archive,” Clark said. “From the DNA coiled in my hair to the embodiment of epigenetic memories, I am a repository of all who have come before me. I am a collaboration, not singular but a collective. My artwork is as well.” 

Through Clark’s exploration of identity, race and history, “1-877-OUR-CURL” invites viewers to consider the cultural and personal significance of Black hair and how hair can carry personal and collective stories of identity. 

“1-877-OUR-CURL” is generously supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art and the William A. and Leola Piper Boyce Art Exhibition Endowment Fund. 

The exhibition is part of a robust series of exhibitions and programs during the 2026–27 academic year that are aligned with the America250 initiative and the U.S. Semiquincentennial. For more information on the artist talk, exhibition or future programming at the Galleries, visit the Doris Ulmann Galleries’ events page at dulmanngalleries.berea.edu. For information on parking or accessibility needs, visit dulmanngalleries.berea.edu/visit/