Simone Leigh is known for creating large art works that represent and celebrate the experiences of Black women. Now she will be the first Black woman to represent the United States at the highly respected arts festival, the Venice Biennale. The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) announced the decision Wednesday. Leigh lives in New York City and rarely speaks to reporters. However, she told The New York Times newspaper that the country’s bad racial climate, “doesn’t distract me from the fact of how amazing it is to be a Black artist right now.” Jill Medvedow is director of the Boston museum. She said in a statement: “At such a crucial moment in history, I can think of no better artist to represent the United States.” She praised Leigh’s work for the past twenty years “that centers the experiences and histories of Black women,” calling them “probing, timely and urgent.”
Title: Simone Leigh: 1st Black Woman to Represent US at Biennale
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Simone Leigh: 1st Black Woman to Represent US at Biennale' data-article-id='5114'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='11813'>Simone Leigh is known for creating large art works that represent and celebrate the experiences of Black women.</span> <span data-start-time='11813' data-end-time='24396'>Now she will be the first Black woman to represent the United States at the highly respected arts festival, the Venice Biennale.</span> <span data-start-time='24396' data-end-time='38458'>The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) announced the decision Wednesday.</span> <span data-start-time='38458' data-end-time='44458'>Leigh lives in New York City and rarely speaks to reporters.</span> <span data-start-time='44458' data-end-time='60083'>However, she told The New York Times newspaper that the country’s bad racial climate, “doesn’t distract me from the fact of how amazing it is to be a Black artist right now.”</span> <span data-start-time='60083' data-end-time='65729'>Jill Medvedow is director of the Boston museum.</span> <span data-start-time='65729' data-end-time='77042'>She said in a statement: “At such a crucial moment in history, I can think of no better artist to represent the United States.”</span> <span data-start-time='77042' data-end-time='92604'>She praised Leigh’s work for the past twenty years “that centers the experiences and histories of Black women,” calling them “probing, timely and urgent.”</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/A.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=16048 data-hint-location='11813' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/what_is_the_venice_biennale.wav'>What is the Venice Biennale?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a highly respected arts festival'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/a_highly_respected_arts_festival.wav'><span>a highly respected arts festival</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/a_famous_museum.wav'><span>a famous museum</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/a_trendy_restaurant_for_artists.wav'><span>a trendy restaurant for artists</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/a_revered_art_school.wav'><span>a revered art school</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=16049 data-hint-location='38458' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/where_does_simone_leigh_reside.wav'>Where does Simone Leigh reside?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='New York City'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/new_york_city.wav'><span>New York City</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/stockholm.wav'><span>Stockholm</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/tampa.wav'><span>Tampa</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/paris.wav'><span>Paris</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=16050 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/simone_leigh_is_known_for_creating_large_art_works_that_celebrate_the_experiences_of__blank_.wav'>Simone Leigh is known for creating large art works that celebrate the experiences of <span class='blank'>Black women</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Black women'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/black_women.wav'><span>Black women</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/white_children.wav'><span>White children</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/asian_americans.wav'><span>Asian Americans</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4587/playful_children.wav'><span>Playful children</span></div></div></div><div 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