(January 17th) On Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge unveiled their newest exhibit in honor of Black History Month titled “Healing History.” The exhibit was centered around the theme of “Black Health and Wellness.”
“Through an open and honest examination of the past, the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, and its Artist Advisory Board hope to impact the present and future, while highlighting black voices and stories in an effort to promote a more just society,” was the statement given on behalf of the Council.
“Self Portrait” by artist, gallery-owner, and activist Kristen Downing is the first eye-catching painting with its large size and hot pink color. It features Downing’s side profile with a white magnolia flower tucked into her elaborately-styled hair. The viewer feels as though they are looking down on Downing, as it was painted from a high perspective.
The second most striking pieces are also Downing’s work that make up the series “Mother and Child”. With a vivid turquoise color, the first painting shows a woman sitting on a chair playing with a child on her lap. The second shows the child holding a metal pick comb while still sitting on the woman’s lap as she is adjusting the child’s shirt.
Photographer and founder of Visionary Blessings Antione Lacey contributed three images in celebration of the beloved Baton Rouge community activist Miss Sadie Roberts-Joseph, who suffered an untimely death in July of 2019. The black and white images displayed were taken during the candlelight vigil of Roberts-Joseph, where hundreds gathered to honor her memory.
“I took them in black and white to give it a nostalgic, film feel to convey the emotion of what was going on,”Lacey said.
In a photograph taken by Lacey, “Afro Lady” features a woman holding a sign while donning a shirt that reads “A True Legend Sadie Joseph Roberts”. Her facial expressions seemed to be an indication that while she was grief-stricken, she was proud of how the legacy of Roberts-Joseph united the community.
“Miss Sadie was prominent in Baton Rouge… Everyone knew Miss Sadie and she was the founder of the (Baton Rouge) African-American museum as well, so my photos take place during her candlelight and it’s like a healing type of ceremony to let her go as our final goodbye.”
“What does healing mean to you?” Lacey had asked me. At the moment, I had tensed up at the question. “I don’t think I have an answer for you,” I replied. It was still attached to my memory even after leaving the building. I had no idea how the question could apply to my perspective since the theme of the exhibit had nothing to do with me.
Some works were easier to understand, and others contained cryptic messages with seemingly randomly placed shapes, colors, and figures. However, after analyzing how healing may apply to my own burdens and delving deeper into the symbolism of the gallery’s works, I began to discover subtleties in each piece.
In Lacey’s photographs, the bigger picture was that those people had lost someone who made it their mission to put the message into the world that their lives matter. While no one should ever have to tell other individuals that their lives matter, she contributed a lot through her activism.
“We are all healing from something, whether that be mental health, trauma, self-inflicted harm and that’s what this exhibit is about,” Lacey said.
Healing to me means that you are able to make peace with the ghosts of your past, all injustices, regrets and wrongdoings. Healing means facing the woes head on and calmly carrying on while realizing that there is always an opportunity to fight for a better tomorrow for yourself or others around you. Healing means allowing your perspective to turn from black and white into vibrant colors.
Although my struggles will never equate to the ones that African-Americans face, healing is a universal concept that no single race holds exclusive rights over. The definition of healing differs for each person, however, the common ground it holds is that it is a long and arduous journey. Any person that achieves it, has won a battle in their life. From my perspective, the ultimate purpose of this installation is to showcase and pay tribute to the history of African American’s healing and the emotional strength it took to get to where they are now.
“We envision a healthy community where color is art, not a dividing force in society,” said the Arts Council.
The exhibition featured works by artists Ashli Ognelodh, Randell Henry, Kayla Magee, Mike Weary, Darlene Moore, Antione Lacey, Kristen Downing and Rayne Myers. All pieces were curated by Kristen Downing and can be found in the Shell Gallery of the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center. The Shell Gallery is located at 233 St. Ferdinand St. The exhibition is open until 4:30 pm and will remain open to the public during regular business hours through Feb. 24th.
Credit: Source link