Gibbs College of Architecture Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) Director and Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design (PLAD) faculty member Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., recently published a new book, Collective Yearning: Black Women Artists from the Zimmerli Art Museum.
The richly illustrated catalog documents an exhibition of artwork by Black women and includes reflections from Rutgers University students who helped curate the show. In the book, Wiley chronicles the collaborative process of exploring the Zimmerli Art Museum's holdings to identify, recover, catalog, and exhibit works created by Black women artists.
The cover of Collective Yearning, written by Dr. Amber Wiley.
Through essays and commentary, contributors examine the ethics of curation, African American expressive traditions, and the institutional biases that have historically marginalized Black women's artistic contributions. The publication features artwork from the exhibition, including pieces by acclaimed artists Faith Ringgold, Renée Stout, and Kara Walker. Collective Yearning makes a powerful statement on the importance of showcasing Black women artists.
For the inaugural book launch event in April, Wiley participated in a curatorial discussion with Diana Greenwald, William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Collection at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The discussion was held in conjunction with the Zimmerli Art Museum exhibition Allan Rohan Crite: Neighborhood in New Brunswick, NJ.
Wiley has also presented at the Avery Research Center's 40th anniversary celebration in Charleston, South Carolina, and continues to engage with communities through additional book-related events, including the Juneteenth Vendor Market hosted by the Sigma Sigma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in Oklahoma City and the OKC Black Author's Expo.
Telesis, a journal produced by students in the University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, has earned first place in the 2026 Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals for its seventh volume, “Unfold.” This marks the fourth time the publication has earned recognition for excellence in student architectural journalism. It shares the honor with student journals from Columbia University, University of Michigan, and Cal Poly.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Thinh "Henry" Duong, a master's student in the Division of Interior Design, for earning first place in the 2026 Robert Bruce Thompson Annual Student Light Fixture Design Competition.
Gibbs College of Architecture Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) Director and Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design (PLAD) faculty member Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., recently published a new book, Collective Yearning: Black Women Artists from the Zimmerli Art Museum.
