To celebrate Stress Awareness Month, Weusi Artist Collective presents a special event titled “Reflections of WEUSI 1965 – Present,” an immersive celebration honoring the legendary Harlem-based Weusi Artist Collective and the transformative power of art for healing, cultural pride, and resistance. The art collective event is being hosted this weekend by The Children’s Art Carnival and Hamilton Landmark Galleries and features an immersive exhibit of culture.
The WEUSI exhibition includes traditional art pieces, live drumming sessions, artist features, dance, and poetry performances and opens to the public on April 26.
The exhibit has been described as multi-sensory, and it was designed to highlight the power of art as a form of stress relief and emotional restoration.
WEUSI celebrates Black expression as a module for the spirit, which plays a role in both healing and liberation on a cultural front.
Patrons can come to see Reflections of WEUSI 1965 – Present at two different Harlem locations: Children’s Art Carnival and Hamilton Landmark Galleries.
Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees for Children’s Art Carnival, Michael Unthank, stated in a press release sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE, “The Weusi Artist Collective served as a trailblazing catalyst of the Black Arts Movement of the ’60s, and made an indelible mark on the culture of Harlem by paving the way for recognition for Black artists that had long been denied. The Art Carnival is uniquely linked to many of their members, and their commitment to Black creativity is alive today.”
He continued, “We’re proud to have this opportunity to recognize their work, their contribution to the culture here in Harlem, and their impact throughout the world.”
As listed on WEUSI’s program, the weekend’s events will include performances by spoken word poet and founder of Harlem Bomb Shelter Luther Isler, author and founder of Percussion Arts Projects LLC Baba Don “Babatunde” Eaton, and other influential cultural figures.
The WEUSI Artist Collective was founded in 1965 from the roots of Harlem, and grew to be a revolutionary force in the world “of art, identity, and Black consciousness.”
WEUSI seeks to redefine the narrative of Black expression as a means to elevate African heritage and mold an artistic space that is centered around the experience of liberation, beauty, and expression.
Founding members Ben Jones, Otto Neals, Taiwo DuVall, Ademola Olugebefola, Okoe Pyatt, Emmett Wigglesworth, Gaylord Hassan, Abdullah Aziz, Dindga McCannon, and Kay Brown built their own safe space during a time when Black artists were being systematically excluded from the media.
WEUSI’s work has influenced the creation of several Black-focused institutions across the United States, including The Studio Museum in Harlem and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Founder Kim Hamilton expressed, “After 30 years, Hamilton Landmark Galleries and the Weusi Collective still partner to elevate awareness of the consciousness of contemporary artists who resonate with the Black Arts Movement. We look forward to presenting demonstrations, conversations, and collaborations during this exhibition month.”
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