 Theater Center co-founders and artistic directors Richard and Tina Knowles Lawson announce their newest art exhibit, “WITNESS,” featuring Black women and femme-identifying image makers in partnership with GOOD MIRRORS and Black Women Photographers from April 1-May 27.){kind=link}
[NoHo Arts District, CA] – WACO (Where Art Can Occur) Theater Center co-founders and artistic directors Richard and Tina Knowles Lawson announce their newest art exhibit, “WITNESS,” featuring Black women and femme-identifying image makers in partnership with GOOD MIRRORS and Black Women Photographers from April 1-May 27.
“This exhibition acknowledges and celebrates what Black women make possible for all of us through their art, imagination and creativity,” says founder and curator Genel Ambrose of GOOD MIRRORS. “We’re thrilled to partner with WACO Theater Center to uplift the work of Black women image makers.”
“WITNESS” features the works of 14 L.A.-based Black femme-identifying artists who project their vision of the world, society, community, and themselves through their art. The exhibit explores the intersectional vantage point of the Black woman artist—inviting the viewer to bear witness to what they may not otherwise see on their own.
Artists featured in the “WITNESS” exhibit include Alexis Hunley, Amber J. Phillips, Amber Evangelista, April Bey, Cara Elise Taylor, Dana Davenport, Dee Williams, Deun Ivory, Elise Peterson, House of Aama, Liam Woods, Sade Ndya, Sophia Nahli Allison, and Stephanie Mei-Ling.
“WITNESS is making room for Black women and artists to be seen and features amazing work. We want our community to support these artists and see the world through their eyes,” says Curator and Artistic Director Tina Knowles Lawson.
During the eight-week exhibit, WACO and GOOD MIRRORS will host a number of special events including artist talks and community workshops. Exhibition visitors are invited to share and record personal stories of their own through an interactive installation titled, TRUTH, a digital storytelling platform that seeks to combat algorithmic bias and impact the data (and metadata) that informs how Black women and girls are depicted online and within society at large. The exhibition is supported in part by Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda French Gates company, which is on a mission to accelerate social progress in the U.S. by removing barriers that hold people back.
“We’re witnessing history unfold in real-time with the rise of Black Women Photographers and Black femme visual artists taking up space boldly in their respective fields. This exhibition is a love letter to the past, present, and future of Black women artists, showing us their world through their powerful gaze. The intentionality behind each selected artist and art shown here will attest to that. I’m grateful – and the world will soon be grateful – to witness.” Polly Irungu, founder of Black Women Photographers
WHEN
Saturday, April 1 at 6:00 PM and runs through May 27
WHERE
WACO Theater Center
5144 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 92601
TICKETS
The exhibition is free and open to the public. Reservations are required and information is available at: wacotheatercenter.com
GALLERY HOURS
The gallery is open Friday-Sunday from 12:00-6:00 pm and by appointment during the week. Email info@waoctheatercenter.com for scheduling.
ABOUT WACO THEATER CENTER
WACO Theater Center is a performing and visual arts organization dedicated to the empowerment of Los Angeles artists, young people and stories of the African diaspora.
Founded in 2016, WACO opened its doors to the public in 2017. Located in the heart of North Hollywood’s Arts District, the state-of-the-art complex includes a 99-seat theater, an art gallery space and is the home of Richard Lawson Studios. Over its five year history, WACO has invested in more than 700 artists and 1000 young people in Los Angeles and beyond. WACO’s mentorship program Tina’s Angels and Richard’s Warriors, exposes inner-city youth to the world of the arts and opportunities beyond their zip code. Each year participants are provided computers, attend workshops like etiquette class, and field trips to create first time experiences. WACO is committed to providing a creative center where art can occur and give artists and youth a place to grow their talent and celebrate their artistry.
ABOUT GOOD MIRRORS
GOOD MIRRORS is a cultural institution committed to accurately reflecting Black women and girls as whole and dignified beings. We are a collective of storytellers, community-builders, memory workers, futurists and intersectional feminists catalyzing positive systemic change. Through our multidisciplinary studio, we collaborate with like-minded partners to co-create content and social impact initiatives that effectively, credibly, and consistently amplify the voices of Black women and girls at scale. Learn more at goodmirrors.institute.
ABOUT BLACK WOMEN PHOTOGRAPHERS
Established in July 2020 by Polly Irungu, Black Women Photographers (BWP) is a global community, directory, and hub of over 1,200 Black women and non-binary identifying photographers, spanning over 50 countries and 35+ U.S. states. Black Women Photographers is a home for Black women to receive proper recognition, and most importantly, get hired. Learn more here.