Why’d They Put That In A Museum?
Show Notes
Artist: Theaster Gates (American, b. 1973)
Item: Sam Gilliam’s Boot, c. 2022
Details: synthetic rubber boot, paint, dimensions unknown, collection of Theaster Gates, shown in “Young Lords and Their Traces,” New Museum, New York, 2022
https://www.newmuseum.org/exhibition/theaster-gates-young-lords-and-their-traces/
Sam Gilliam’s Boot
Theaster Gates
On a visit to the New Museum, curator Sarah Lees was struck by a paint-splattered rubber boot in a plexiglass wall case. What was this humble object doing in an exhibit of works by Theaster Gates?
Turns out, the boot belonged to painter Sam Gilliam, who wore the boot in his studio while working. Gilliam is known for pouring and splashing paint to make abstract works on unstretched hanging canvases.
Sarah discusses how Gates’s choice to include this boot in this exhibit honors this humble object and the artist who wore it. This boot isn’t just a singular tribute. It’s a powerful example of Gates’s broader mission to honor “the spirit within things” and preserve overlooked histories.
By putting this boot in a museum, Gates is using a museum’s institutional power to confer honor on objects, people, and cultural legacies that are otherwise undervalued.
Contact Us
Say helloAbout the Podcasters
Sarah Lees
Sarah is a museum curator and researcher who has worked in organizations both large and small, and who remembers her first assignment for an art history class – to look into Rembrandt’s eyes and describe what she saw there. She believes everyone can find those kinds of connections to some form of creative expression, whether it’s a painting, a grandmother’s quilt, or a perfectly formed pen-stroke in a manuscript.
Beth Bacon
In addition to being an avid museum-goer, Beth Bacon is an author for young readers. Her books empower today’s kids to learn about themselves and the world through reading. She is also a teacher and branding consultant and a volunteer at the Missouri History Museum. Beth holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, an MA in Communication Arts from NYU, and a BA in Literature from Harvard University.
Music Credit
The music you hear in the intro and outro was composed by Edward Whelan. We appreciate his contribution to our podcast.
Stay up to date
Stay up to date with our news