A Juneteenth art exhibition will kick off annual celebrations in State College
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- Juneteenth Arts Exhibition opens Friday at the Woskob Family Gallery from 6 to 8 p.m.
- Exhibition is open every Friday until Aug. 7, 12:30 to 5 p.m.
- Juneteenth block party begins Saturday at noon on the 100 Block of South Fraser Street.
State College is gearing up for its seventh annual Juneteenth celebration this weekend, beginning with drum rolls that will launch the Juneteenth Art Exhibition on Friday followed by a block party Saturday.
Continuing a tradition that began in 2019, this year’s Juneteenth Art Exhibition will be held at the Woskob Family Gallery, and will be open every Friday through early August.
The exhibition was first created by Anya Wallace, a Penn State alumna who developed the project while earning her doctorate in art education. Grace Hampton, an emeritus professor of art education and African studies at Penn State, has been involved with the exhibition alongside Wallace since its inception and now serves as its curator and exhibition chair. Zsuzsanna Nagy, director of the Woskob Family Gallery, also played a key role in developing and organizing the exhibition.
This year, a boisterous drum call led by a group of Kenya drummers called the Pamoja Collective will begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday near the gallery, sending a signal to the community that the art exhibition is open and celebrations have officially begun.
The gallery will feature six local artists who will showcase their creations around three major themes: freedom, justice and equality, through an intergenerational perspective. The artist lineup will include three emerging artists and three established artists who have been working and exhibiting for many years.
This year focused on exploring different generational perspectives on the central topics at hand and viewers are able to see historical and modern details meshed into single pieces, Hampton said.
“The idea is for them to look at the past, the present, the future, and to see if they can see themselves or remembrances of things that they relate to Black culture and the notion of freedom, equity and justice,” she said.
Hampton emphasized the interconnected nature of time and how the past, present and future shape one another and influence individual and collective experiences.
“When you look at the past, the present and the future, they are one. Without the past, you couldn’t determine where you are now, but where you are now and what you do and say and feel will determine what the future will be,” she said.
Juneteenth artists on display
As visitors walk down the steps of the gallery, immediately to their right will be the work of Kennedy Ferguson, a third-year Penn State student majoring in biology with a concentration in ecology and a double minor in sociology and art. The surreal portraits of people in her SULA (a reference from Toni Morrison’s 1973 novel, “Sula”) and Environmental Portrait series honor community as a sustaining force, according to her artist statement.
Also included in the gallery is the work of Barry King, an award-winning local artist known for colorful abstract pieces that include African symbols and emotional tones. Hampton noted how he owned one of the first barbershops in State College that did hair for “men, women, Black and white.”
Another emerging artist is Aiysha Watson, a soon-to-be Penn State student who works with graphic design. Her work shows strong themes in Black culture such as music, breakdancing and movement through clear colorful imagery.
The work of June Ramsey, a multimedia artist based in State College, takes a three-dimensional approach through carefully layered creations utilizing nature, with stones as foundations, to represent compelling themes of remembrance.
“She associates the idea of freedom, equality and justice with the notion of remembrance using things from nature, such as stones of remembrance and how people remember things in an artistic way,” Hampton said.
The photography and vibrant colors of Venezuelan-born photographer Helen Velásquez Martínez will also be displayed. According to her artist statement, her work highlights the experiences of Afro-descendant women and explores identity, diversity and representation in art.
Also featured is the work of Irvin Moore, a Penn State student who began creating art while incarcerated at Graterford Prison where he served for 52 years. His artwork reflects on the history of slavery and systemic injustice while evoking a sensation of freedom, according to his artist statement.
Held in conjunction with the exhibition, the “CREATIK Symposium” will bring artists and community members together for conversations about art, culture and environmental topics at 7 p.m. Friday.
The Juneteenth Art Exhibition can be viewed Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. It will remain open until Aug. 7. every Friday from 12:30 to 5 p.m.
On Saturday, the Juneteenth block party hosted by the State College Borough, the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State and the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau will begin at noon in the 100 Block of South Fraser Street. This year’s theme is “Roots, Rhythm and Resilience: Celebrating Our Legacy,” and the block party will feature performers, vendors and a variety of celebrations.
