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068. America at 250: “Freedom Dreams” with Maori Karmael Holmes and James Claiborne
Episode 68
Thursday, 2 July, 2026
In Episode 68 of The Manic Metallic Podcast, host Liberty Imhoff is joined by Maori Karmael Holmes and James Claiborne, the co-curators of “Freedom Dreams”, a film exhibition currently on view at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, PA."Freedom Dreams" asks us to ponder the forms that freedom takes for Black Americans at the 250th anniversary of America's founding, giving visitors five short films created by Black artists and filmmakers to stimulate that thought process.Liberty, Maori, and James discuss the following:What they believe that today’s version of freedom and liberation for Black people looks likeWhy film was the correct artistic medium to make the “Freedom Dreams” case to the publicHow they narrowed down the “Freedom Dreams” exhibit selection to these five specific artistsThe level of influence that both author and historian Robin D. G. Kelley (from whose work this exhibit takes its name) and Dr. Albert Barnes (founder of the Barnes Foundation) had on the spirit of the "Freedom Dreams” exhibitWhether Philadelphia is doing a good job in promoting and facilitating the freedom and liberation of its Black citizens and other citizens of colorAnd more!MAORI’S BIO:Maori Karmael Holmes is a filmmaker, curator and cultural worker. She founded BlackStar Film Festival and serves as Chief Executive & Artistic Officer of BlackStar Projects. She has organized film programs at Anthology Film Archives, Barnes Foundation, MOCA, and Whitney Museum, and has organized the exhibitions Freedom Dreams (2026), Rashid Zakat: Uses of the Ironic (2024), Terence Nance: Swarm (2023), among others.JAMES’S BIO:James Claiborne is the Fleischner Family Vice President for Engagement at the Barnes Foundation and a curator and educator with more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit arts sector. He previously served as Director of Programming at the African American Museum in Philadelphia and Senior Vice President of Exhibitions and Programs at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. At the Barnes, he is co-curator of Freedom Dreams, the museum’s latest special exhibition, on view now, and has also co-curated John Dowell: A Public Intimate Space and William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision, including its accompanying performance series choreographed by Brendan Fernandes. RESOURCES AND REFERENCESManic Metallic, “250 Years of Dreaming About Freedom” (“Freedom Dreams” exhibition review): https://manicmetallic.com/arts-culture/250-years-of-dreaming-about-freedom/Barnes Foundation, “Freedom Dreams”: https://www.barnesfoundation.org/whats-on/exhibitions/freedom-dreamsBarnes Foundation - Free July at the Barnes Foundation for Philadelphia city residents(info): https://www.barnesfoundation.org/whats-on/free-julyBlackstar Projects: https://blackstarprojects.org/SUPPORT THE MANIC METALLIC PODCAST ($)https://app.redcircle.com/shows/11d2b542-f3b4-4462-b85e-5708034cb823/donationsCONNECT WITH MANIC METALLICSubscribe To Our Substack Newsletter: manicmetallic.substack.com/subscribeManic Metallic Website: manicmetallic.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manicmetallicofficialCONNECT WITH LIBERTYSubstack: substack.com/@libertyimhoffWebsite: libertyimhoff.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/libertyimhoff/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-manic-metallic-podcast/donations
