INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) \u2014 The \u201cQueens of Art Collective\u201d exhibition at Newfields is celebrating Black History Month and Women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Dana Powell Smith, one of the featured artists, created a piece titled \u201cTell Me a Story.\u201d The painting depicts three generations of women doing each other\u2019s hair, a process Smith describes as a significant bonding experience that can take hours. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt molds us in a way. And you see the young girl, she\u2019s got a picture of her ancestors with a letter from her ancestors,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThis is just what we do. This is our life.\u201d 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\u2019s hair in the kitchen.<\/p>\n
Another work by Smith, titled \u201cGolden Child,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s confidence and a child\u2019s doubt. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe mother knows she can. She\u2019s unsure. That\u2019s what that shows,\u201d Smith said regarding the subject of the piece. The exhibition also features work by Indianapolis artists Tania Wineglass and India Cruz-Griffin. <\/p>\n
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\u2019s experience. The collective also includes photography among its featured mediums.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe mother knows she can. She\u2019s unsure. That\u2019s what that shows,\u201d Smith said regarding the subject of the piece. The exhibition also features work by Indianapolis artists\u00a0Tania Wineglass,\u00a0India Cruz-Griffin\u00a0and Faith Blackwell.<\/p>\n