'Reflections of the Words of Martin Luther King Jr.' on display at Gallery on Gazebo
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – This diverse artistic showcase celebrates a message of freedom, equality, justice and love.
The 'Reflections of the Words of Martin Luther King Jr.' exhibition is on display through February at Gallery on Gazebo, 140 Gazebo Park in downtown Johnstown.
The show includes the work of 11 national and local artists whose hope and passion for equality and fellowship align with the words of King.
'These paintings and photographs are all coming out of Martin Luther King's expressions and his speeches,' said Marsha Chaney, the facilitator of the exhibition. 'The artists and photographers took their inspirations from those speeches.'
Featured in the exhibit is a photograph of 'The Embrace,' a 20-foot-tall bronze sculpture by Hank Willis Thomas that was installed on Boston Common in Boston in December 2022.
Some of the other images include the black-and-white photograph 'Joe and Julia Singing,' taken by Roy DeCarava capturing Black life in mid-19th-century Harlem; 'Coming to Jones Road Tanka #3: Martin Luther King' by storyteller and quiltmaker Faith Ringgold; the painting 'Barber Shop' by Jacob Lawrence, whose Cubism-inspired works depict the history of Black resistance, migration and struggle using vibrant colors and shapes; and 'Martin Luther King Jr. – Mountain Top' by Romare Bearden, whose work depicts everyday Black life with a distinct vibrancy and creative command, organizers said.
There also are photographs of services taken at St. James Missionary Baptist Church in Johnstown.
'It is all very powerful, and we want it to be positive,' said Rosemary Pawlowski, development chairwoman for Gallery on Gazebo. 'We see African American people doing things that everyone does and we all have feelings and need to show them, but somehow the African American emotions are not presented the same way as those of white people.'
As part of the exhibit, the public is invited to share their impressions and thoughts on the pieces that will be incorporated into the show.
'We intend to collect those comments, especially from youth, to see what these pieces say to them,' Pawlowski said. 'We want to know what pieces make an impact on people. You have to look at each piece individually and see if it speaks to you, what does it say and if it's something you can take with you in everyday life.'
Chaney said the hope is those who view the exhibition will understand that people are people.
'I want everyone to look at it and see that we are all in this stew together,' she said. 'We are different, but together we make up a very homogenized and beautiful culture. We have individual cultures with our ethnicities, but we make a United States culture that's different from other places.'
The exhibition is sponsored by Valley Printing.
There is no fee to attend the exhibition.
Gallery on Gazebo hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
For more information, visit www.galleryongazebo.org.
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