See Stan Squirewell at Claire Oliver Gallery

Make sure to head over to the Claire Oliver Gallery (2288 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard at 134th – www.claireoliver.com) to check out Stan Squirewell’s premiere solo exhibition.

Squirewell’s work examines who curates and controls the narratives that become accepted as history; from what perspective is history written, whose stories are told, and whose are neglected?

“As a child of the hip hop era, born in the 70s, growing up in the 80s and 90s, I look at my work as almost remixing, crate-digging, but my crates are museums, private collections, and historical narratives,” states Squirewell. “I remix my pieces according to my own way of writing history and who we are as people. My work exists as a veil between the spiritual and real world, it’s a bridge that offers a connection between the two.”

The works on display are founded on the concept of rebuilding identity using painting, photography and sculpture.

Squirewell uses found historic photographs of Black people, whose complex human identities have been erased either through time or through design, as a starting point. He then layers collage, painting and photography with each new element undergoing a ritualized burning.

Squirewell’s own family history has been a driving influence for the artist in his exploration of how we are taught simplified and singular narratives that disregard the complexities of contemporary identity.

Gym Equipment

There has been a lot of media coverage of the removal of gym equipment near the basketball courts in Marcus Garvey Park this past week. Even the New York Times has weighed in on the issue:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/22/nyregion/marcus-garvey-park-harlem.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/22/nyregion/marcus-garvey-park-harlem.html

Back in January, the Harlem Neighborhood Block Association was invited to meet with the NYC Parks Commissioner about Marcus Garvey Park, and our request/vision for improving this amazing space. Our block association specifically asked (in writing) for:

…more support for the gym users near the basketball courts (a conversation about equipment or facilities, etc.)

and reiterated this in the Zoom call.

(if you cannot get behind the NYT paywall, you can read the text, here: https://www.thebharatexpressnews.com/its-gym-has-made-a-harlem-park-special-city-officials-tore-it-down/ )


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