To commemorate Juneteenth, the King Arts Complex on the Near East Side held a festival Wednesday that celebrated Black artists and culture.
“We feel that there's been a need for our community to come together, given what's been going on from the pandemic, from the police brutality, the situations in our community to gun control situations,” said King Arts Complex Performing Arts Director Jevon Collins.
Juneteenth marks the day that the last enslaved Africans were freed in Texas in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. The day has long been celebrated by the Black community, but only became a national holiday in 2021.
King Arts Complex’s celebration Wednesday included music, food, vendors and resources, but it also focused on the arts. The event featured an art show, a film and a poetry slam, as well as youth dance classes.
“We’re not trying to glorify the trauma and the bad things that have happened, but we're lifting up the artistry, the great things that have come from the African American community,” Collins said.
The day also saw the soft opening of King Arts Complex’s new interactive exhibit, “Past, Present: The Story of Ohio Giants,” which chronicles the stories of three Black Columbus artists in a series of short films.
Actress Della Williams plays the late Ursel White Lewis, a patron of the arts who was a creative force in her own right, known for making fashionable hats. Williams said she felt she connected with Lewis in portraying her.
“It seemed like once I put the hats on and the pearls and then the dresses, it just became natural,” Williams said.
Columbus playwright Chiquita Mullins Lee, who wrote all three vignettes, said in her research she found that Lewis was a wonderful talent.
“She recognized the talent in other people, as well as her own hats and gloves and her own fashion sense,” Lee said.
She said she found out about Lee in writing about the other two featured artists, Elija Pierce and Aminah Robinson. Pierce was a highly acclaimed folks artist known for his woodcarvings. Robinson’s intricate artworks spanned painting, drawing and sculpture.
“It's just been really exciting for me to be able to connect all these amazing Ohio Giants,” Lee said.
Williams said it’s important to tell the stories that have been passed down through the generations.
“It builds your confidence, and it makes you aware of who you are and where you come from,” Williams said.
Lee agreed.
“We need to celebrate our history, the good, the bad, the ugly, all of it – because it's this creative tapestry that we have,” Lee said. “It just makes us know who we are and makes us better as we move forward into the future.”
Collins said the trio of artists recognized in the installation is just the first cohort.
“This is a project that will continue for years to come,” Collins said.
A larger launch specifically for the exhibit is expected to be scheduled for a later date.
