Art Gallery Shows to See in March

Deborah Roberts, Ursula von Rydingsvard, and Noel W Anderson's exhibits explore themes of colonization, spirituality, and Black identity in the media.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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This week, art critic Seph Rodney reviews three notable gallery exhibitions opening in March. Deborah Roberts' collages investigate the history of colonization in Africa, Ursula von Rydingsvard's large-scale wood sculptures evoke ancient stone monuments, and Noel W Anderson's woven tapestries depict famous Black entertainers and athletes.

Why it matters

These exhibits provide thought-provoking commentary on issues of race, identity, and the power dynamics inherent in media representation. Roberts' work challenges colonial narratives, von Rydingsvard's sculptures connect to spiritual traditions, and Anderson's tapestries explore how Black public figures are perceived and consumed.

The details

Deborah Roberts' collages feature Black children with clothing and labels that suggest their bodies are commodified. Ursula von Rydingsvard's massive cedar sculptures resemble ancient stone formations, blending industrial materials with organic, spiritual forms. Noel W Anderson weaves tapestries of famous Black entertainers and athletes, digitally manipulating the images to reveal the warping effects of media on public perception.

  • The Deborah Roberts exhibition 'Consequences of being' is on view in March 2026.
  • Ursula von Rydingsvard has been creating her wood sculptures for about five decades.
  • Noel W Anderson's exhibition 'Courtside Sermon' is on view in March 2026.

The players

Deborah Roberts

A 63-year-old artist based in Austin, Texas who has been making collages since 2008 and has had a significant influence on photographic collage in the past decade.

Ursula von Rydingsvard

An 83-year-old sculptor who has been making large-scale wood totems resembling ancient stone megaliths for about five decades.

Noel W Anderson

A 44-year-old artist who works primarily with images taken from media archives, digitally manipulating them before weaving them into cotton tapestries.

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What they’re saying

“Many Thousands Gone' (2025) features an image repeated throughout the exhibition of a young girl who happily gazes back at the viewer as spectator, her smile wide and her plaited hair decorated with ribbons. But her clothing is stamped with the label 'USDA CERTIFIED TENDER' and 'USDA SELECT,' thus marking her body as something that is available to be consumed by those in the market.”

— Seph Rodney, Art Critic (The New York Times)

“Part of the wonder she conjures up has to do with scale — occasionally monumental. But she doesn't depend on this tactic in the way that artists such as Richard Serra did, making objects so enormous that they overwhelm our capacity to hold them in the mind's eye, and thus induce feelings of our own fragility. Von Rydingsvard isn't trying to engulf the viewer in an experience some might call the sublime.”

— Seph Rodney, Art Critic (The New York Times)

“The inclusion of Simone and Brown, along with the show's title, suggests that Anderson regards all of these figures not just as superstars, but also more significantly as performers within similar fields of play. The basketball court, the bandstand, and the preacher's lectern are all arenas in which a kind of spectacular kind of Blackness gets put on display.”

— Seph Rodney, Art Critic (The New York Times)

The takeaway

These three exhibitions demonstrate how contemporary artists are using their work to critically examine issues of race, identity, and power in society, providing nuanced perspectives on how marginalized communities are represented in media and popular culture.