When Snow Banks Were Mountains: An Exploration of Grief

How do we make sense of our mourning? Consolation often comes as the reminder that it will get better; that a greener pasture awaits us on the other side of loss. Those familiar with grief recognize it is not so simple. Sankofa Artist-in-Residence LIV presents When Snowbanks Were Mountains as an alternative: grief itself is a world rich in color.

Exhibited widely across Milwaukee and the Midwestern arts scene, LIV’s practice uplifts the determination of Blackness. Her large-scale portraiture drenches the audience in texture and bold color. The repetition of facial features and her signature high top fades demand witness to the Black manhood around her. Their spotlight opens space for vulnerability and complexity often denied in society’s narratives around Black perseverance.

The exhibition grows itself in three phases—grief in displacement, grief in love, and grief in Black America. Through this ongoing transformation, each piece adds to the show’s dialogue…