Celebrate Black Artstory Month on Myrtle this February!

We are thrilled to present Black Artstory Month on Myrtle: A Celebration of African American Art, Culture and Creativity to coincide with February’s recognition of Black History! The month’s events include art exhibitions, film screenings, lectures, performances and hands-on art making activities taking place in the businesses along Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn in partnership with Brooklyn-based arts organizations.

We're highlighting and honoring the contributions African Americans have made, and are making, within the arts community. Black Artstory is a community effort, featuring collaborations with local businesses, local artists and organizations across the color field that are inspired by or share correlations with African American culture. The full calendar of events is on our website, and stay tuned for weekly posts about upcoming events throughout February. Highlights include:

- Myrtle Windows Gallery show, “A Patchwork Story” in eight Myrtle Avenue Storefront windows, with accompanying lecture by Dr. Myrah Green, Executive Director of Art and Culture in the Office of Government and Community Affairs at The City College of New York (CUNY) on the presence of African symbols in North American quilts (Saturday, February 23 at 4pm).

- A night of performance with Trumpeter Roy Campbell Jr. and theatrical readings of the words of poet James Baldwin, pioneering dramatist Alice Childress and emerging playwright Thais Francis; sponsored by JACK at Five Spot Soul Food Restaurant (Tuesday, February 5 at 7pm).

- An Afternoon of interactive reading and artmaking for kids ages 4+ presented by FOKUS at Dee and Ricky’s (Saturday, February 9, 9am).

- A talk by Black Professionals in the Film Industry (Tuesday, February 19, 6:30pm - 9pm), an all ages workshop devoted to Family Storytelling through film (Sunday, February 10, 1:30pm - 4pm), and a conversation exploring the differences and similarities between The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz (Tuesday, February 26, 7pm - 9pm); all sponsored by Brooklyn Young Filmmakers at Trilok Fusion Center for Arts and Education.

Additional events include art exhibitions sponsored by South of the Navy Yard Artists and Coup d’etat Arts, short film screenings by ACT NOW Foundation and MOCADA at Ingersoll Community Center, family-friendly art-making workshops by SONYA and FOKUS, a lecture on the state of Menswear Style by Randal Jacobs, and conversations on the roles barbershops and food play in creating community sponsored by FOKUS.



image: D. Huff, Black Flag