I Was Here

Seventeen emerging and underrepresented lens-based artists working in the mediums of photography, video, performance, collage, and mixed media explore the concept of proclaiming one’s existence through image-making and storytelling. In our social landscape, the phrase “____ was here” is a familiar declaration found on walls and public surfaces, symbolizing an act of marking one’s time and presence in a place. In the current social and political climate in which the complicated histories of Black people face the threat of erasure, sharing stories through the lens of Black creators and cultural producers is critical. Delving  into the myriad ways of being and existing in our ever-complicated modern society, these artists offer insights on disability, gender and sexual identity, survival, imagination, aging, ancestry, community, and more.

Taking inspiration from renowned photographer Ming Smith, this exhibition evokes her perspective of “celebrating the struggle, the survival, and finding grace in it.” I Was Here celebrates Smith’s legacy while providing young artists the opportunity to present work inspired by her style.

Artists: Deijah Archie-Davis, Asa Featherstone IV, Janet George, Ira Graham, Terrence Hammonds, Iyana Hill, Asha Imani, Magnus Juliano, Lyn Logan-Grimes, Alexis McCrimmon, Ky Smiley, Marissa Nicole Stewart, Tariq Tarey, Akeylah Wellington, Nina Wells, Ben Willis

Curators: Marcus Morris and April Sunami, Independent Curators