“Happy” Holidays, the first solo museum exhibition of multimedia artist Erykah Townsend, explores how consumerism shapes Christmas. Rather than a joyous time, this season can create high expectations and financial stress, especially for those with limited means. Townsend blends humor with earnest reflection to examine Western commercialism and how shopping and spending have consumed Christmas.

Drawing on, art history, pop culture, allegory, and advertising, Townsend satirizes and critiques the holiday “one-upmanship” that happens during this time. This focused study extends Townsend’s ongoing exploration of commercialism’s influence on our lives. As she states, “I use pop culture as a medium itself - exploring the spaces it fills in our lives and questioning how real is the imaginary." Townsend began developing “Happy” Holidays during her 2022 moCa residency. She received her BFA in painting from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2020.