Seriously?!?!?
DJ's? Ebonics hymnals?, vinyl revival?,
Come on!
This smacks of such tragically obvious references all that comes to mind is "hipster", "too kool", and unbelievably trendy. Whats next? He's the new Robin Hood? (pun intended)

"Stand, you've been sitting much too long, there's a permanent crease in your right or wrong." ~Sly Stone

Except for those who loathe this species of art, Gates has clearly been embraced by those who matter in giving him exposure. SAM, once again, grabs an exhibit that is carefully calculated to attract popular attention like, the Kurt Cobain and King Tut shows perhaps to the loss of more esoteric or quiet art. I still can’t get over the feeling that there’s something racially wrong with having a room dedicated to blacks as is having a whole building dedicated to Asian. What about a room or a building for women artists? That, I think, is the root of my objection. Gates should be welcome but a room for blacks? An affirmative action room or program for blacks or even Eskimos or whatever? Why not open up all spaces to everyone? As to the $10K GK & JL endowment requirements and politics aren’t Caucasians colored? I heard a black man call his girlfriend pink the other day. Skin color discrimination seems to be a problem that can’t go away. I do respect the complexities and impossibilities of putting forth a winning prescription on racism. Will Disney ever release Song of the South again as history? Life seems full of T_r Babies, a term that seems treated like the ‘n’ word in the US. Our experience of the black artist in America seems fraught with sticky issues. Many of Gates ideas seem didactic like the fire hose thing, maybe just a little too literal.

@5 DJ person,

It appears you are an ally of nwmystic and are reinforcing his pov. You seem more sober than nwm. Your post is interesting, critical but not abusive. Yeah, there may be something thick about my text. Exageration can help us understand things like comedy or humor can. Take political cartoons for example. I only mean to raise unusual thoughts or connections often maybe out of the box but enlightening. I appreciate your ideas here.

I find it hard to understand the level of negativity in the comments here. I went to see Theaster Gates projects in South Chicago and really saw what he was doing. I was blown away by what he and so many of the community in that neighbourhood had done. Are were continuing to do. Far from being a cynical exercise in marketing as was implied by one of the posters here, he is building something powerful here. And not at all didactic (as in the comment 4) - why because i am not from your culture, as is quite a number of his international audience. How subtle was the abuse by police in 1963? Germany artists and writers have been actively reminding their citizens (and globally) that Nazism and hatred are always a possibility. Perhaps Theaster is doing the same. Giving what happened a voice and in a positive form.