BREATHE, an exhibit curated by Grits Capone will be showcased at City Books’ Iamb Gallery from June 29-August 24, 2019 with an artists’ talk to be held Saturday, August 3 from 7-8 PM. The talk is FREE.
BREATHE is centered on telling stories of freedom, joy, happiness, power, and individuality through the lens of Blackness. Inspired by the phrase, “I Can’t Breathe,” last words of police brutality victim, Eric Garner, the exhibit’s goal is to repudiate a society that profits from the pain & destruction of Black bodies & minds, ultimately offering a glimpse into a reality yearning to be brought into existence. BREATHE serves as the second curatorial effort by multidisciplinary artist Grits Capone (Corey Carrington) following his Associated Artists of Pittsburgh fall 2017 debut exhibit, Electric Kool-Aid.
The exhibit features only Black artists representing a diverse sampling of artistic styles and mediums. The works featured include mixed media, painting, digital illustration, photography, printmaking, and performance art. Participating artists include: Allie Rose (digital illustration), AIM$ (painting), Caleb Ferguson (painting), C.B. Perry (painting), Patience Lee (mixed media), and Bekezela Mguni (mixed media).
Spotlighting emerging, marginalized, and under-represented artists from the Pittsburgh/tri-state/ neighboring Appalachian region, Iamb Gallery’s purpose is to promote artistic expression in relation to experience and narrative; to foster dialogue between artists and audiences across race, gender, sexual orientation, geographic, and socio-economic boundaries; and to reinforce the vital bond between literature and art as part of the region’s cultural heritage. Owner of City Books, Arlan Hess, reached out to Carrington after seeing his name on the internet after a search for Northside curators.
BREATHE is a co-production of Deeper Than Grits Studio and Iamb Gallery, located within City Books at 908 Galveston Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. The exhibition will be on view June 29-August 24, 2019 during City Books’ regular business hours Tues-Fri 11 AM-6 PM, Sat & Sun 12-5.