1/5/24, 12:26 PM Westerly ARC's 'Conversations with African American Art' exhibit opens Friday at cooperative gallery Friday

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Westerly ARC's 'Conversations with African American Art'

exhibit opens Friday at cooperative gallery Friday
By Nancy Burns-Fusaro Sun staff writer
Jan 4, 2024
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The White Dress, Gwen Knight. Photo courtesy Paula and Bill Mitchell.

WESTERLY — When April Dinwoodie first saw the pieces of art in the extraordinary collection
of paintings, she said it felt something like finding water in a desert.

It was more than refreshing, said Dinwoodie, as she spoke about the rich trove of art created
by African American artists, it was life-affirming and life-changing.

"It was an amazingly beautiful experience," said Dinwoodie, a founding member of the Westerly
Anti-Racism Coalition. "In and of itself, it was a gift — just to witness."

Moments later, she said, she found herself wondering about ways to share the paintings — and
her experience — with the wider public.

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On Friday, "Conversations with African American Art," a selection of pieces from the Bill and
Paula Alice Mitchell Collection of African American Art, will open in the community gallery at the
Artists' Cooperative Gallery of Westerly.

The exhibit is a presentation of the coalition, a community organization dedicated to embracing

multiculturalism and addressing issues related to racism.

Dinwoodie, who helped curate the exhibit, along with Westerly residents Leslie Dunn and Kevin
Lowther, fellow members of the coalition, said it was "a true joy" to work with the Mitchells on
the show.

"They teed it all up for us," she said, "and we got to pick the pieces."

Dinwoodie said she, Lowther and Dunn selected and interpreted selections for the show, which
will remain on exhibit through Feb. 28.

"It's going to be a powerful event," predicted Dunn, who said the first time she saw the
Mitchells' collection, she was at a loss for words.

"It was probably the first time in my life that I was speechless," Dunn said. "I'd never seen
anything like it."

Dunn went on to say that while she had certainly been exposed to fine art before, to see so
many pieces of art created by African American artists together in one place was an emotional
experience.

"I have cried so many times during the process," she added. "It's been emotional ... and it's
emotional that it has all come together and that the opening reception is on Friday."

Dunn said one of the pieces she selected and wrote commentary for is a piece called "The
White Dress," by Gwen Knight.

"It's a stunning piece," she said, "one that reminds me of all the strong women in my life. It
resonated with me, this figure of a woman with her shoulders back and her head held high.

"It means so much to me, as a Black woman."

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"The Mitchells have been fantastic partners in this endeavor," said Lowther via email
Wednesday morning, "generous with their time, their collection and with sharing their own
journey of discovering the dynamism, emotion and storytelling aspect of African art."

Lowther, who is out of the country, said while he is sad to miss Friday's opening reception, his
hope is that "through this exhibit, others will expand their idea of art and to explore what it feels
to be immersed in another culture."

"While the differences in our skin color ultimately should not matter," he added, "the differences
in our cultures should be celebrated."

In addition to the exhibit, the coalition is sponsoring three presentations of "Conversations

About African Art: Talks with Artists and Collectors," which will take place at the Westerly
Library on consecutive Saturday afternoons in February (Feb. 3, 10 and 17) from 1:30 to 3:30
p.m.

The presentations, according to coalition member Geoffrey Serra, are designed to encourage
conversations while addressing the coalition's mission of "embracing multiculturalism to
address racism to educate, engage, and empower our community in its journey to equity,
inclusion and belonging for all."

The first presentation, “Raising Your Racial IQ with Art," will feature Robin Holder, an artist and
arts educator from New Jersey who has developed identity-based projects and programs
throughout New York City.

The second, on Feb. 10, will feature Paula (Alice) and Bill Mitchell, who will discuss "Why We
Collect African American Art.”

The third and final presentation will be with artist Curlee Raven Holton, who will discuss,
“Below the Surface: An African American Story in Printmaking.” Holton is a nationally known
printmaker, painter, and arts educator whose work has been exhibited professionally for more
than 25 years in more than 30 one-person shows and 80 group shows.

The presentations are being sponsored by the Washington Trust Foundation, Serra said, noting
that the entire project — both the exhibition and the programming — will be documented and
archived at the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of Visual Arts & Culture of African
Americans & the African Diaspora at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland.
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The archives support the center’s mission "to expand and replenish the field of African
American art," he said.

"Conversations with African American Art" in Westerly will also become part of a national
celebration honoring African Americans and the arts, Serra added, noting that the Smithsonian
plans to celebrate Black History Month 2024 with events, resources, exhibitions, and podcasts
and the theme, "African Americans and the Arts."

As far as the "life-changing" experience that came about as a result of working on the exhibit
with the Mitchells, Dinwoodie said she bought her very first piece of African American fine art
recently, thanks to the encouragement of the Mitchells.

"I am now an art collector," Dinwoodie said.

nbfusaro@thewesterlysun.com

If You Go
WHAT: Westerly Anti-Racism Coalition exhibit opening reception

WHEN: Friday, Jan. 5, from 5 to 8 p.m.

WHERE: Community Gallery at the Artists’ Cooperative Gallery of Westerly, 14 Railroad Ave., Westerly.

MORE: The exhibit will be display through Feb. 28. For more information, visit westerlyarc.weebly.com.

Nancy Burns-Fusaro
Arts & Culture Editor

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