Harlem’s Hi-ARTS incubator and Black Women Photographers have partnered for the Center Focus exhibition. The show is Black Women Photographers first and it is an introduction to their work which comes from a global collective of more than 1,000 Black women and non-binary identifying photographers across 32 states in the US and 46 nations. Polly Irungu founded BWP in 2020 in response to the racial turmoil in America to debunk the idea that Black artists are obscure and incapable of professionalism. Black Women Photographers is centered around providing a home for its members with educational resources, workshops, conversations, events and a directory to increase opportunities for Black creatives.
Center Focus puts the spotlight on the work of emerging photographers Eliana Carter, Andrea K. Castillo, Poochie Collins, Maria J. Hackett, Myesha Evon Gardner, Ashli Owens and Edolia Stroud. The work includes portraits of Black women and images that reflect the gaze of Black women. Hi-ARTS Executive Director Aaron L. McKinney made a statement about the exhibit: “These phenomenal artists will share the joy, beauty and struggle of Black women in a way that welcomes all while celebrating the uniqueness singular to our community. We applaud the work and are honored to partner with and be the home of BWP’s inaugural exhibition and we are committed to providing an experience that sets the bar for future BWP exhibitions and partnerships.”
Hi-ARTS has helped the careers of Ebony Noelle Golden, Dominique Morisseau, Radha Blank, Alex Alpharoah and others.
Center Focus runs from April 11-29 at Hi-ARTS in El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 at 215 East 99th Street in Manhattan. Gallery hours for the exhibition will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1 to 6 p.m. ET and Thursdays and Fridays from 1 to 8 p.m. ET. The exhibition is free and open to the public with a timed-entry registration. Attendees will have the opportunity to make a donation at the time of registration to support both presenting nonprofits.
For more information about Hi-ARTS and secure exhibition, reception or mixer tickets visit hi-artsnyc.org. Follow Hi-ARTS at @hiartsnyc on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. For more information on Black Women Photographers, visit blackwomenphotographers.com or follow @blackwomenphotographers on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, @blkwomenphoto on Twitter and @black-women-photographers on LinkedIn.
