Westchester Black History & Culture: FULFILLING THE VISION

(BAC) is honored to announce Black History & Culture: Fulfilling the Vision in Westchester, BAC’s annual Black History Month exhibition curated by Ossining Village Historian, Joyce Sharrock Cole. 

In February 2021 and 2022, Ossining was gifted a welcomed treat. The exhibit “Ossining Black History & Culture: RESILENCE. DEDICATION. EXCELLENCE” was an ode to the Ossining African American Community and its historic contributions. With the support of our sponsors and community, the exhibit was a source of local pride and received the 2021 NYS Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick Heritage & History Award. Elected Officials, including Congressman Jones and Senator Reichlin-Melnick, attended.

The 3^rd installment of this award-winning exhibition will open on January 28, 2023, and close on March 3, 2023. The opening reception is January 28, 2023 at 4-6pm. The theme for this year’s exhibition is “Fulfilling the Vision.”

This year’s exhibition will expand the historic storytelling out of the Ossining borders into the surrounding communities. Each uniquely themed exhibit gallery will highlight the steps taken by Black visionaries in our neighborhoods who worked diligently, intentionally, and purposefully to uplift the Black race in Westchester and beyond. The exhibition will utilize oral history accounts and genealogical research to unearth the histories of Black entrepreneurs, organizations, and lawmakers from all facets of the community’s business and social life.

Programming will include concerts, talks (including a talk with Madam CJ Walker’s great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles), curator tours, and living museum actors with events in person, online, and traveling throughout the year with the History Walls.

We are excited to announce our partnership with The Ossining School District and their commitment of 2,000 student visitors and families for 2023. Starting in 2022 we began training High School students in exhibit leadership as Museum Docents. The Docents guide younger students through the exhibition’s educational experiences. This program was widely successful and will continue as part of the program in 2023.  We have partnered with Claremont School in Ossining to curate one of the rooms, the “I Have a Dream” Corridor. The Claremont scholars will create the artwork which we will select to be displayed for the duration of the exhibit.

The exhibition is free and open to the public during gallery hours, Monday – Friday 10am-4pm. On Saturdays throughout February, the gallery will be open 10am-3pm. Walk & Talk tours led by curator Joyce Sharrock Cole, are scheduled for February 1, 8, 15, and 22 at 6pm. Closed Sundays. Tour admission is $25 adult / $10 student.

—Joyce Sharrock Cole, Ossining Village Historian

This exhibit would not have been possible without the help and support of the Ossining community.
Curated by Joyce Sharrock Cole

With Thanks

and Acknowledgement

Black History Month programs at Bethany Arts Community are sponsored by Phelps Hospital Northwell Health.