An image of Cauleen Smith studio, dated 2023. copyright Cauleen Smith. Courtesy the artist and 52 Walker, New York
An image of Cauleen Smith studio, dated 2023. copyright Cauleen Smith. Courtesy the artist and 52 Walker, New York

Cauleen Smith: The Wanda Coleman Songbook

52 Walker is pleased to announce its tenth exhibition, The Wanda Coleman Songbook, which will feature the work of Los Angeles–based artist Cauleen Smith (b. 1967).

The Wanda Coleman Songbook is an immersive video installation that enlists scent, sight, and sound to explore the multidimensional depth of poems by Wanda Coleman (1946–2013). Coleman was widely considered the unofficial poet laureate of Los Angeles, and her work guided Smith’s reacquaintance with the city after a sixteen-year absence. At the heart of The Wanda Coleman Songbook listening room, visitors are invited to drop a needle on the eponymously titled, limited-edition two-color vinyl 12-inch EP with commissioned contributions by Kelsey Lu, Shala Miller, moor mother and Aquiles Navarro, Meshell Ndegeocello, Jeff Parker and Ruby Parker, Alice Smith, and Jamila Woods and Standing on the Corner.

Wanda through the streets of LA. Let Wanda be your guide.

Read More at 52Walker.com

Image: Cauleen Smith, The Wanda Coleman Songbook, 2024 (still) © Cauleen Smith.
Dates
January 19March 16, 2024
Opening Reception
Friday, January 19, 6–8 PM
Gallery Hours
Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat: 10 AM–6 PM Thu: 12–8 PM
Artist
Cauleen Smith

Cauleen Smith: THE WANDA COLEMAN SONGBOOK
Vinyl EP



The central hub of The Wanda Coleman Songbook is the record itself, released in a limited edition of 500. Smith shared a selection of Coleman’s poetry with the participating artists and invited them to interpret the writer’s words. Spanning genres and experimentations, the commissioned songs on the EP reflect the collaborators’ heterogenous approaches to Coleman’s euphonious poems and ultimately cohere to present a narrative that is sensitive to the textures of her Los Angeles.

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Image: THE WANDA COLEMAN SONGBOOK (52 Walker, 2024). Produced by Cauleen Smith

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