Devin Troy Strother: Grateful Dead Afro Cat Show (2021)

Digital archival print and paint marker on Epson Hot Press Natural 330g/m2 paper
24.00 x 18.00 in
61.0 x 45.7 cm
Edition of 50

Signed and numbered by the Artist on the front

Artspace is proud to announce a new limited edition of 50 hand-embellished prints by pioneering multidisciplinary artist Devin Troy Strother. Proceeds from the sale of Grateful Dead Afro Cat Show will support Free Arts NYC, a New York-based nonprofit that empowers underserved youth through art and mentoring programs to develop their creativity, confidence, and skills to succeed.

Available exclusively on Artspace, Grateful Dead Afro Cat Show, 2021 spotlights Strother’s trademark boldness, wit, and embrace of materiality, brought to life by distinct paint elements that speckle the image’s enveloping nightscape. Devin Troy Strother is known for incorporating pop culture and personal narratives as well as humor and language in his multimedia works to explore alternative racial narratives; inspired by Strother’s new body of work currently on view at Broadway in New York City, Grateful Dead Afro Cat Show, 2021 centers two cartoonish felines floating inside a rainbow afro suspended in an infinite night sky. Strother’s appealing visual forms belie a critical examination of complex subjects which confront the viewer with some of the most pressing social questions of our time.

ABOUT FREE ARTS NYC
Free Arts NYC’s mission is to empower underserved youth through art and mentoring programs that are designed to develop their creativity, confidence, and skills to succeed.

For 23 years, Free Arts NYC has been committed to providing high-quality arts programming to over 2,000 youth, annually. Through our partnerships with community-based organizations, NYC’s Department of Homeless Services and city schools, Free Arts NYC continuously strives to create equity in the creative space by facilitating opportunities through two core programs:
The Teen Arts Program helps participants to gain job readiness skills and explore the arts academically and professionally while building a pathway to success with the support of a long-term mentor. The program offers opportunities including portfolio development, artist studio visits, career exploration, and paid internships.
The Free Arts Days Program is a unique volunteer opportunity that pairs underserved elementary-aged youth 1-on-1 with volunteers for an afternoon of “mini-mentoring” and art making inspired by themes that ignite a creative spark.

Throughout this past year, Free Arts NYC has continued to provide art supplies and remote programming to children and their families. The young people in our Free Arts Day Program -- from some of the city’s highest need sites -- receive monthly art kits and activity packages. While the Teen Arts Program remains virtual, Free Arts has continued to lead digital literacy workshops, portfolio development and school application support, artist studio visits and remote summer internships. At a time when critical resources are being stripped from communities, art continues to be the inspiring outlet that helps children cope with challenging circumstances.