February is Black History Month and, to mark the occasion, the Islip Arts Council is holding three art exhibitions throughout the month, including one at the Cohalan Courthouse in Central Islip.
The exhibit, which was open to artists of all races, highlights Black history, creative influence, and culture, and is a collaboration with the court system.
“We created a space that centers Black voices and representation, while also welcoming respectful multi-cultural participation—because many of our families and communities are interracial and diverse, and we believe there are perspectives that come from love, unity, and respect,” Linda Weingarten, the Islip Arts Council’s Director of Operations, said in an email.
Great South Bay News recently had the opportunity to view the exhibit and speak with three of the artists: photographer Keith Rossein of Malverne and sisters Nia and Kiya Henry of Central Islip.
Kiya Henry’s painting illustrates one generation passing down Black history to the next generation. In the painting, a mother, dressed in green, lovingly hands her daughter, dressed in pink, a book entitled My Black History.
“I chose colors that pop out,” Kiya said.
Nia Henry’s painting depicts a room ready for a family Kwanzaa celebration, with the candleholder (called a kinara) on a table and presents under the table. The walls are painted a vibrant yellow, which Nia said is her favorite color.
Rossein, another artist in the show, has had solo exhibitions at the Bellmore Memorial Library and the Lakeview Public Library in Rockville Centre.
A retired dentist and former weekly newspaper publisher and editor, Rossein has three works in the show, including his photo entitled A Penny for Her Thoughts, which is included in the invitation for the exhibit.
Rossein snapped the photo at an event at the New York City Transit Museum in Brooklyn, where attendees—many dressed in costumes from the 1930s and 1940s—were able to board a vintage subway car.
In the photo, a woman looks out from behind a slightly opened subway car door.
“She was just looking out the door,” Rossein said.
Another of Rossein’s works in the show is an image of Muhammad Ali, based on a photo Rossein took when the boxing great was training for a 1967 heavyweight bout against Zora Folley at Madison Square Garden.
The Islip Arts Council has held a Black History Month arts exhibit for many years.
This is the third year the exhibit has been held at the Cohalan Courthouse, said Patricia Waite, principal court attorney and co-chair of the courts’ Black History Month committee.
“Having the art on display in the courthouse allows the many visitors and courthouse employees to be educated about Black history and Black art,” Waite said. “Black History Month is about more than history. It’s also about art and poetry and more.”
The theme for this year’s Black History Month celebrations across the country is “A Century of Black History Commemorations.”
The exhibit at the Cohalan Courthouse, which will be on display through Feb. 28, is one of three Black History Month exhibits the Islip Arts Council has scheduled for February.
The others are:
- A visual art and poetry exhibit entitled “In View: A Featured Collection by Black Artists” at My Town’s Cafe, 51 W. Main Street., East Islip.
- Prohibition: Art Under the Influence at the Islip Arts Council gallery at South Shore Mall in Bay Shore. The exhibit explores the connection between the Harlem Renaissance art movement and other events of the 1920s, including Prohibition and the Jazz Age.
