We are also pleased to highlight Renée Stout, whose work Conjuring Vest is featured in Second Skin: Exploring Adornment as an Extension of Self  and is part of the Belger Collection. Born in Junction City, KS, Stout lives and works in Washington, D.C. As a mixed media artist, she draws inspiration from her own personal history, current social and political events, the African diaspora, urban life, and the spiritual realm. Her sculptures, paintings, installations, and photographs reflect a decades-long exploration into the art history and spiritual practices of Hoodoo, which trace their roots from Africa through American slavery to the present day.

In a 2017 interview, Stout described herself as a "conjurer," explaining that the act of conceptualizing an artwork and transforming thoughts into tangible objects capable of communicating with viewers is a form of conjuring. Through her art, Stout seeks a deeper understanding of her existence within contemporary culture, her heritage, and the broader world.

Stout's work is represented in depth within the Belger Collection and is part of the permanent collections of major institutions, including the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Her work has also been exhibited at many prominent venues such as The Kreeger Museum, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Stout earned her BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and has received numerous awards, such as the Women's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award, the Anonymous Was a Woman Award, the Pollock Krasner Foundation Award, the Joan Mitchell Painter and Sculptor's Grant Award, and the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award.

Second Skin is on view at the Belger Crane Yard Gallery through May 2.