New Franklin Park Conservatory exhibition uplifts voices of Black artists

Andrew Horne
Thu, 24 Jun 2021 01:45:49 +0000
Arts & Life, Instagram Page, News, all people arts, black artists, black community, black neighborhood, Columbus, columbus community, creative women of color, exhibition, franklin park, franklin park conservatory, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, maroon arts group, nature, Ohio, ohio state, ohio state university, open mic night, osu, resilience in nature, resilience in nature we are the roses that grew from the concrete, the ohio state university, Transit Arts, tupac

Candice Igeleke, program director from Maroon Arts Group, at the “Resilience in Nature: We Are The Roses that Grew from the Concrete” exhibition at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus. Credit: Courtesy of Candice Igeleke | Maroon Arts Group

Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ new exhibition, “Resilience in Nature: We Are The Roses that Grew from the Concrete,” features voices of Black artists in a display of artwork inspired by nature.

The exhibition, which will run from June 12 to Nov. 28 in the Cardinal Health Gallery of the conservatory, highlights the artwork of 29 local Black artists of varying experience levels, Bonnie DeRubertis, associate director of exhibitions at the conservatory, said. The conservatory partnered with All People Arts, Creative Women of Color, Maroon Arts Group and TRANSIT ARTS for the exhibition.

Displaying 31 different art pieces in all, the exhibition’s gallery showcases the theme of resilience in nature, featuring a wide variety of mediums including paintings, poetry, photography, digital art and textiles, DeRubertis said. The artwork was selected by a panel of five local jurors after a February call for entries.

“I feel like Black artists have always created work that is reflective of nature, but a lot of times they’re left out of that narrative,” DeRubertis said. “This exhibition really just strives to connect people with nature while building that voice and supporting the voices of Black artists.”

The exhibition’s title was inspired by a line from late rapper Tupac Shakur, which details a rose blooming from the cracks in concrete and symbolizes something that is outside of its element but still thriving, Candice Igeleke, program director for Maroon Arts Group, said. The gallery’s variety of artwork features each artist’s interpretation of the line’s meaning.

“I know people personally who have been put in ridiculous situations or some beautiful situations, and they thrive either way,” Igeleke said. “We wanted to see what that looked like to these different artists and their elements.”

Katerina Fuller, program manager for TRANSIT ARTS, said the exhibition gives an opportunity for emerging artists to be featured in their first exhibition and connect with the Columbus community.

“Because Franklin Park sits in what historically used to be a Black neighborhood and is very integral [to] the Black community in Columbus, I wanted to help bridge the gap between the two communities,” Fuller said.

Additionally, the partnered groups looked to ensure the conservatory’s exhibition gave a legitimate platform to the voices of Black artists in the community and did not just check off a box to say they did, Igeleke said. Organizers met with the conservatory to create greater public access to the artwork and continued support of the Black community.

“We made sure that we touched on that and figured out what [the conservatory was] going to do, rather than putting on a show,” Igeleke said. “It was best for us to definitely be at the table. We were really heard, so that meant a lot, and we just want to continue that conversation.”

Upcoming events at the exhibition include an open mic night hosted by TRANSIT ARTS June 22, with more events to occur in the coming months, Fuller said. Admission to the open mic event is free and continues the organization’s monthly open mic night tradition, usually held at their East Main Street location.

“Resilience in Nature: We Are The Roses that Grew from the Concrete” is open at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can purchase tickets through the conservatory’s website, with free admission available for all residents of Franklin County and Columbus on the first Sunday of every month.