QUEENS — A new art exhibit featuring the works of professional artists and young people alike explores various social-justice themes affecting communities living in Southeast Queens, the organizers said.
The Social Justice Art Exhibit, on display this Friday evening only at King Manor Museum, will include about 30 pieces created by both accomplished artists and students taking art classes at the Rochdale Village Community Center.
The works will address issues like the Black Lives Matter movement, racial disparities in the prison population, the death penalty and solitary confinement, the organizers said.
“The whole purpose [of the exhibit] is to educate the viewers about social-justice issues that impact communities of color,” said Wanda Best DeVeaux, 61, one of the artists who also teaches at the Rochdale Village Community Center.
The painting she created for the exhibit shows “the disproportionate representation of African Americans and people of color inside the prison system,” Best DeVeaux said.
Dr. Winston Huggins, photographer Keith Major and Kenneth Reams are also participating in the show.
Best DeVeaux's students, who will also present their pieces at the museum Friday, include contributors between 7 and 18 years old, as well as two grandmothers who learned how to paint with acrylics on canvas while participating in the class along with their grandchildren.
“We want to educate young people about art and give them that experience and build character and self-esteem through art,” Best DeVeaux said.
Councilman Rory Lancman, chairman of the Courts and Legal Services Committee, and one of the sponsors of the exhibit, said that “art has always been used to convey what words can’t, and the Social Justice Art Exhibit captures the racial disparities in our criminal justice system in a way that is more poignant than any statistic.”
The exhibit will be on display on Friday only. The group is now looking for other venues that would like to show its works.
The exhibit will be on display for free at the King Manor Museum at 150-03 Jamaica Ave. on Friday, Sept. 30, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
