INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The “Queens of Art Collective” exhibition at Newfields is celebrating Black History Month and Women’s History Month by highlighting the work of four African American women artists from Indianapolis. The exhibit features painting, mixed media and photography to explore themes of resilience, beauty and the complexity of womanhood.
The collective brings together artists whose work is rooted in lived experience and creative resilience. The featured creators spent a year developing the exhibition, which offers intimate perspectives on the Black experience through various visual languages and artistic mediums.
Dana Powell Smith, one of the featured artists, created a piece titled “Tell Me a Story.” The painting depicts three generations of women doing each other’s hair, a process Smith describes as a significant bonding experience that can take hours.
The background of the artwork includes visual representations of the various topics discussed during these sessions, ranging from stories of positivity and praise to pain. Smith explained that the ritual of hair care serves as a foundational element of life and heritage for many families.
“It molds us in a way. And you see the young girl, she’s got a picture of her ancestors with a letter from her ancestors,” Smith said. “This is just what we do. This is our life.” Smith noted that the inspiration came from her own experiences sitting on the floor while her mother did her hair and later doing her own daughter’s hair in the kitchen.
Another work by Smith, titled “Golden Child,” explores the societal pressures placed on young girls. The piece reflects the conversations mothers have with their daughters regarding how they must present themselves and dress in society.
It portrays a young girl internalizing these expectations while feeling uncertain about her ability to meet them. The artwork captures the emotional tension between a mother’s confidence and a child’s doubt.
“The mother knows she can. She’s unsure. That’s what that shows,” Smith said regarding the subject of the piece. The exhibition also features work by Indianapolis artists Tania Wineglass and India Cruz-Griffin.
Wineglass creates paintings on canvas that incorporate quilting. Cruz-Griffin utilizes mixed media, combining magazine clippings with acrylic paint to focus on family and the Black woman’s experience. The collective also includes photography among its featured mediums.
The collective spent approximately a year preparing the exhibition before it was accepted for display at the museum. Smith described the process as a long journey for the four artists.
“The mother knows she can. She’s unsure. That’s what that shows,” Smith said regarding the subject of the piece. The exhibition also features work by Indianapolis artists Tania Wineglass, India Cruz-Griffin and Faith Blackwell.
More information about the artists and their work is available at discovernewfields.org.