Exhibit celebrates local Black Artists at Westbury Arts

In celebration of the Long Island Black Artist Association’s 55th anniversary, Westbury Arts is the host of an exhibition that highlights more than five decades of talent from local artists.

Several members of the association from across Long Island were present Feb. 4 to commemorate the occasion and launch the exhibition.

Westbury resident Marcia Odle-McNair has been a member of the Long Island Black Artist Association for two years. She also sits on Westbury Arts’ board of directors, a position which allowed her to write a proposal for the venue to host the exhibition.

“There’s still lifes, representational art, abstraction, ink works, and watercolors,” Odle-McNair said. “There’s everything. We all come together.”

The association was founded in 1968 by artists James Counts, Ernest Snell, Raymond Miles and Charles Winslow. The organization aims to help local African-American artists find venues to exhibit their work.

The association’s art has been exhibited in places such as museums, universities, libraries and churches. Some work has been displayed internationally in continents such as Africa and Europe.

Galvin Bisserup Jr. is the current president of the Long Island Black Artist Association, which covers the counties of Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk. When holding meetings for the group, he positions all members to sit in a circle.

“Putting everyone in a circle allows people to recognize that they each have an equal space,” he said. “They each have something to offer, and we can share information and learn from one another.”

The art that is displayed in the exhibition has been influenced by the personal interests of different members.

Freeport resident Aaron L. Scott has two pieces in the exhibition. One painting, titled

“Winter Sunset,” was inspired by the former Oceanside School District art educators’ passion for nature.

“There’s something about winter that I’ve always liked,” Scott said. I just enjoy nature.

I grew up in an area where we used to have lots of deer. There’s always been a lot of animals around, maybe less than there used to be. But there’s still those things that are part of nature that are around.”

Photos taken by Mary Rano, another Freeport resident, are also showcased. One of those pieces is titled “I-95 at Philly,” and focuses on an oil refinery that she observed while stuck in traffic.

"It was 7 in the summer, and the sun was going down,” Rano said. “The light was reflecting off of the metal and pipes. It struck me as really pretty. There was something beautiful about it.”

Members also shared their reflections on what 55 years of the Long Island Black Artist Association means to them.

“We’ve lasted the test of time,” Odle-McNair said. “What I really appreciate about this group is the fellowship. There’s no judgment.”

Bisserup Jr. talked about his hopes for the future of the association.

“Part of the joy is recognizing that I’m a part of something,” he said. “My main mission is to keep the artists engaged and keep our family unit together so that we can move as a unit when it comes to exhibiting the different artworks that we have mastered.”

The Long Island Black Artist Association’s 55 Years of Black Creativity exhibition runs through March 22 at Westbury Arts.

Anthony Johnson is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.