“Sankofa” derives from the Akan African folklore, symbolizing remembrance of things forgotten, and “in order to know our future we must look to our past.”

The installation is simultaneously futuristic and ancestral, and draws upon intersectional cultures including African, Afro-Caribbean and Indigenous craft traditions as well as the everyday histories and contemporary life of the Park.

The design concept for the pavilion comes out of working in community with members of the Marcus Garvey Park. The 32-foot circular structure incorporates a gathering space below a printed fabric mesh canopy depicting both archival images and AI generated “mythology” of Marcus Garvey Park and other motifs.

“Sankofa” is the first of multiple interactive centerpiece “nodes” of the Culture, Creativity, and Care Initiative over summers 2023 and 2024.

The Culture, Creativity, and Care Initiative brings a host of programming and wellness-through-the-arts to Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park community.

Design Team:

Jerome Haferd (lead), Violet Greenberg, Tiffany Gonzalez, Gabriel Moyer-Perez, with support from Dominiq Oti, Pedro Cruz Cruz and Shadeen Dixon, Ayana Ayo, Charles Maher, and Noah Plofker

Consultants and Collaborators:

Steel Fabrication: Ziello Custom Framing and Fine Art

Printed Canopy and Art Panel Collaboration: NVS Visuals

Wood fabrication, design, and detailing: Tyreik Jackson

Sitework: Franpen Restoration

Lesny JN Felix was born 1976 in Haiti. Very few years have the cultural significance of being born the year of the Dragon. Possessing magical powers. The versatile Dragon is capable of soaring to the highest heavenly heights or diving to the depths of the sea.

It has been stated that Dragons may devote themselves to a great cause or work, and if so, they will see it through to the end. Lesny is definitely the embodiment of the Dragon as it relates to his dedication when producing his great pieces of art.

He spent his childhood years by the ocean in a small Haitian town named Grand Goâve. His first influences as an artist were drawn from the kaleidoscope of colors of bright pink, turquoise and green produced from the houses when overlooking the horizon.

The juxtaposition of this idyllic setting coupled with overcoming a myriad personal challenges helped to shape Lesny JN Felix as an artist.

Harlem based abstract surrealist painter Lesny JN Felix community initiative through Visual and performing arts. In an eager urge to contribute to the rich history of Caribbeans migrating to Harlem. Harlem still maintained a strong community vibing presence.

I feel to contribute in this fashion to shine more positive growth to this kept on shining community that is Harlem.

Instagram: @lesnyjnfelix

Email: rsvp4fun@gmail.com

Remind us of our past brilliance and the wounds and life that we lost and to always be mindful that inclusion is the benefactor of evolution in the way of thriving and nourishing.

Traci Molloy is a Brooklyn-based artist, collaborator, storyteller, and educator.

She creates figurative works of art on paper (primarily headshots) utilizing photography, painting, printmaking, and digital processes. She’s exhibited in over 175 venues, including solo shows in New York, Chicago, Kansas City, Nashville, and participation in the Atlanta Biennial. Select residencies include the Lower Eastside Printshop, Newark Museum, Bucknell University, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Ohio University, and Institute for Electronic Arts.

Molloy also creates large scale, multi-media collaborations with young adults nationwide who’ve experienced trauma. Five of her collaborations are in the Permanent Collection at the National September 11th Memorial and Museum. Her projects have been exhibited at the United Nations, Pentagon, Bronx Museum of the Arts, CDC’s Global Health Odyssey Museum, Norman Rockwell Museum, International Summit on Racism in Johannesburg, and Tokyo’s Children’s Museum. Her projects are subjects in four books: Empowering Children through Art and Expression, Not Far from Me: Stories of Opioids and Ohio, Collective Trauma and Human Suffering: Energizing Systemic Change through Collective Healing Action, and Where Can I Get a Phoenix. Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, NPR, and news stations in New York City, Boston, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. Articles about her work appear in Ms. Magazine, BOMB Magazine, Art Papers, and newspapers across the country.

Molloy has received fully funded residencies throughout the country and project grants from the Puffin Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, and Brooklyn Arts Council. She’s held academic posts at Rutgers University, The Art Institute of Atlanta, and the University of Southern Maine, and is a frequent guest lecturer at colleges, universities, and arts and education-based conferences.

For over twenty years, she’s directed arts-based educational outreach programs for youth in Appalachian Ohio, Atlanta, and the Bronx, partnering with prestigious institutions and organizations including the Studio Museum in Harlem, High Museum of Art, and the Center for Arts Education.

Email: tracimolloy@hotmail.com

IG: @tracimolloy

I am a social practice artist, collaborator, storyteller, trauma survivor, and educator that creates figurative art. I’m curious about how humans process trauma and grief, and what happens during the aftermath of violence. My work investigates our cultural proclivity to re-contextualize difficult histories, mask painful truths, and nullify collective loss. I’m interested in whose stories are told and believed, and whose histories are taught and learned.

For almost 20 years, I’ve generated large-scale, collaborative public art nationwide with trauma survivors. The finished pieces are often celebratory, acknowledging the strength of my co-collaborators. My goal as an artist is to make resiliency manifest visually.

The Portraits of Resiliency Series are figurative portraits on paper using “yearbook” framed headshots as a subjective base. The adolescents depicted in the drawings, all trauma survivors, are from different regions of the country. Abstract iconography obscures portions of their faces, loosely referencing notions of the subject’s identity. The surface of the paper is cut, layered, and transformed, mimicking abstract wounds and bandages. The facial obstructions also mimics the way trauma alters one’s sense of self, while simultaneously ensuring privacy and protecting individual identity. The altered surfaces visually illustrate the psychological damage that occurs after trauma – you feel like parts of you are “missing”.

Encapsulating the figures is celebratory iconography and vibrant colors, calling into question what it means to experience trauma, survive, and live with unseen scars. The pieces exude resiliency, light, and hope.

For Harlem Grown, I would ask that the imagery used for this exhibition be of the youth I taught while running an outreach program for the Studio Museum in Harlem. There are five images available to choose from. The images celebrate the varied cultures of Harlem, while subtly depicting ways trauma impacts the body and fosters resiliency through community, love, and art.

Angelica Reisch is an artist focused in drawing, video, and installation. Through her work, she aims to explore concepts of public and private space and the intersection of perception and interaction.

Reisch is the recipient of several artist awards and grants including the Mercedes Benz Financial Services Artist Award, Nasher Sculpture Center Artist Microgrant, the Dallas Museum of Art Arch and Anne Giles Kimbrough Fund, and the Vermont Studio Center Artist's Grant. From 2017-2019, she served as a cofounder and organizer of DADE, a Dallas-based artist collective and publisher of Holding Pattern, an annual publication of female and nonbinary artists and commissioned writers.

Reisch is currently based in Harlem, NYC.

Email: angiereisch@gmail.com

IG: @angie_reisch

My current art practice centers around the collective imagination and definition of our public and private spaces. My drawings explore the concept of "home" and how we engage with it, while also questioning who has access to it. In my work, I ask important questions such as: who has the right to occupy private or public spaces, and why are some spaces deemed more important than others? How do we define "home," and what does it truly mean? How can we show care for one another in these spaces, and who holds the power to determine these boundaries and definitions?

"No. 238" is a deeply personal drawing of the Harlem building where I have resided for the past several years. Through this piece, I have explored these same questions, while also learning from and engaging with my community members and neighbors on the exact stoop depicted in the piece. My artwork aims to honor the rich history and significance of this vibrant neighborhood, while also highlighting the power of mutual communal care and support.

Nikki Williams has been called a “Renaissance Woman.” She is an award-winning photographer and poet with a professional career spanning over thirty years. She is also an accomplished graphic designer, playwright, author, and performance artist.

Williams was Ryan Health’s first Artist in Residence. Her art was on display at Ryan Health Frederick Douglass from December 2020 until April 2021. In 2022, newer pieces were on exhibit at both Ryan Health Adair and Ryan Health Frederick Douglass locations.

Williams has exhibited solo shows of her work at Blick Art Materials on three separate occasions. In 2019, photographs published from her book, “Soulful Strut: Steppin’ Down Seventh Avenue in Three Quarter Harlem Time – were on display inside the store. The exhibit was in celebration of the African American Day Parade’s 50th year. During the month of August of 2021, Williams’ artwork celebrating Black Women Artists was on display in Blick’s window as part of their “12 Art Beats” monthly series. From July until September 2022, Williams’ artwork “B.Y.O.J.” – Bring Your Own Joy! was exhibited in Blick’s window.

In August, Williams is producing a series of literary events entitled, “This Summer Harlem is LiT.” The programs will consist of poetry readings and literary performances in Harlem. The first event, “A Woman of Her Word,” was held on August 3rd at EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care on 125th Street in Harlem. Seven Black Women Writers read poetry, shared excerpts from their books, and performed selections from their plays. The second program, “Black Love Along Lenox” – A Lyrical Love/Song Lining the Streets of Lenox, was held on August 10th at ARC A. Philip Randolph Senior Center on 146th Street in Harlem. Journalists, Poets, Authors, Actors, Performance Artists and Vocalists shared an evening that celebrated Black Love and Culture. Representatives from Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine’s Office and Councilmember Kristen Richardson Jordan’s Office were on hand to present Williams’ Production Company with Proclamations. The festival finale will be held on August 24th at the Interchurch Center located 61 Claremont Avenue in Harlem. “Ah, Sookie Sookie, Now!” – A Sookie-a-thon is an evening of Self-Praise presented in poetry, prose, dance, movement, visual art and song, celebrating Self-Love, Self-Worth and Self-Acceptance. African American Artists in the artistic disciplines of film, dance, music, literature, theater and visual art, will pay tribute to the iconic poem, “Ego Tripping,” written in 1968 by the prolific Writer and Poet, Ms. Nikki Giovanni. State Senator Cordell Cleare and Ms. Nina Norwood, Deputy District Director from Congressman Adriano Espaillat’s Office, as well as Mr. Ricardo Hernandez, Assistant Director of Programs and Partnerships of Poets & Writers will be on hand to serve as guest speakers for the evening. Poets & Writers is the proud sponsor of “This Summer Harlem is LiT!”

Williams’ latest publication “I Am: How Beautiful!” is a coffee table book of photo collage and poetry celebrating the Resilient Beauty of Black Men and Boys.

Williams gives all Praise to God for her continued Blessings.

Email: spiritalkin@yahoo.com

IG: @bringyourownjoy5272

African American Creativity was always tied to our sense of wellness. Like Langston Hughes and Zora Neal Hurston, who often used humor to tell of the Black Experience, I, too, use humor as one of the many ways to tell our stories.

I am inspired by the tradition of Black Folktales born of the African Diaspora. Animals were often used to teach lessons about life. “Brer Rabbit” (the Trickster) is one of the African Diaspora’s most famous characters. No matter how dire the situation, Brer Rabbit always found his way out. And he always managed to teach his enemy a lesson or two before continuing his life in freedom.

It is important that we paint a vivid picture of the realities of African American life in America with all its brutalities and broken promises. But in our storytelling, space must be made for the stretch of our laughter, for our expressions of hope and humor, whimsy and wonder. I want the audiences who view this body of work, especially our children, to revel in the Joy and Imagination expressed in Black Creativity.

Though it has not been a cure for America’s racism, our Art has always been our best medicine. Like the Jazz Music that African Americans created, our improvised sense of wellness, our continued healing lies in our Sense of Joy: Black Joy, Black Joyed-Dreams, Black Joyed-Imagination. We must take the ear pods from our children’s ears and let them listen to this “Joyful Noise.” Spoon-feed it to our children in ways that are sweet and tender.

Creativity, Imagination and Dreams are an integral part of the Spirit of African American Resilience. And tales such as “Brer Rabbit,” has always given answer to the Gospeled Question that Black Folk have asked over the centuries: “How I Got Over.”

Angelica is an Indo-Caribbean artist, law graduate and social justice activist. Law, art and social justice are her passions and she tries to portray that in her artwork.

She currently lives in Washington Heights with her husband and daughter.

Email: Angelic41491@gmail.com

IG: @lawyeringartist

Care - relates to a mother caring and nurturing her child by breast feeding.

Culture -a brown skin mother with her brown skin baby in the gold - celebrating BIPOC mothers and maternity.

Creativity - the perspective of breastfeeding a baby from the mother's perspective as opposed to the perspective of the artist capturing the mother and child.

Bosede Ajibola Opetubo is a Bronx-born sister, artist, human and mother. She is also the founder of For Sanity's Sake, a creativity circle that hosts live and virtual art making events for mothers and caregivers. Bosede makes art about the lives of women and the small choices that can come to define a life. She shares it with the world as a warning, an invitation, and a quest for hope. Recent exhibitions include the Lowell Folk Festival and an upcoming solo show at the JP Branch of the Boston Public Library; Bosede will soon be completing a public mural in Newburyport, MA.

Email: bopetubo@gmail.com

IG: @sahmcreative

“Dorian” is part of a larger series of portraits I’m developing about self-affirmation and public perception. The series, Façade, is inspired by West African textiles and the work of numerous contemporary African-American portraitists.

Façade is connected to the Culture, Creative and Care initiative because its ultimately about how we see ourselves, where we see ourselves and how others see us. In the context of the black experience in America, these questions have a direct line to mental, physical and physiological health and wellness. There’s significance in having this piece installed in Harlem, a neighborhood like so many other historically black communities, where colonial capitalist violence threatens to remake its demographics entirely. But that reality is balanced by opportunities such as this initiative, which is an opportunity for celebration, community building, and grounding oneself in a place of pride. These are the goals of my piece as well.

Kiki Bencosme (b. 1992) is a Dominican-American interdisciplinary artist from Queens, based in The Bronx. Creating art to initiate a visual conversation with others, her work offers the opportunity to ask ourselves questions of social progress. She creates socio-political illustrations, sculptures, and installations often with recycled or found materials. Kiki's practice is community-based, involving socially-engaged public art and conceptualizing personal objects or stories into the work. KB Website

Email: benkohsmeh@gmail.com

IG: @yokeeks

Morir Soñando is a portrait of an ancestral spirit. With my background as a mixed-raced Dominican, I often meditate on my duality of coming from both the colonized/enslaved history and the colonizer’s history. This portrait makes a connection between ancestry and the land: the bodies of our ancestors decomposing in the soil and the water; while the land holds the energy of their memory and influence on nature. The title translates to “die dreaming” and references a Dominican homemade citrus drink of the same name. The drink represents familial nourishment while the literal name correlates to fulfilling the realities that our ancestors fought for and only dreamed about.”

Colette Miller is an American visual artist and performer from Richmond, Virginia. She currently lives in Los Angeles. Miller is best known as a performer in the heavy metal band Gwar during its formative years between 1986-1987 and for her fine and street art "Global Angel Wings Project." Starting in 2012 to lift the spirits of people on the streets, Miller has created and installed angel wings in countries ranging from Kenya to Mexico to Cuba to France to Australia, earning her international and critical renown.

CM Website

Email: colettemiller@hotmail.com

IG: @colettemillerwings

It's to remind humanity WE are the Angels of this Earth. I conceptualized interactive human sized Angel Wings in Los Angeles in 2012 and acted on the vision. Since then, many others have been inspired but the idea but mine are the originals. I have done them in Cuba, Juarez Mexico, Kenya, Europe,Japan, Dubai (Burj Khalifa) Australia, China, Taiwan, Brazil

Evan Robinson is a Bronx, NY based mixed media artist whose work includes graphic design, paint, and photography. As a child, he taught himself how to draw faces and later doodled throughout his school years. In 2013, Robinson took a Photoshop class that led to creating digital portraits and freelance work for upcoming artists and short films. Later, in 2016, he began his painting journey and, in 2020, began working with photography and mixing the mediums to best express his ideas. Robinson’s current focus is on creating uplifting imagery that challenges viewers to find meaning and beauty in unexpected places and to bring a fresh perspective to the art world. His exhibition history includes several group exhibits Heath Gallery, NativeExpo, and GrowYourBrandPopUpShop. His work can be found in private collections.

Email: Vanhillerart@gmail.com

IG: @posh.art

This work connects to the theme because to care is to be aware and in this piece the subject is crying tears of joy implying vulnerability in a liberating way. This piece connects to creativity because it being called "Tiers Of Joy" is a play on "Tears", while the letters J-O-Y are literally displayed in the tears and to me, humbly, thats pretty creative. Lastly, this piece connects to culture because the act of crying whether it be a happy or sad cry, has always been looked at in a negative light in society. Today, I'm proud to say I unlearned and found the power in the tears.

Robert Newman is a 2014 graduate of Morehouse College and currently works as an Artist and Entrepreneur based in Harlem, New York. Prior to working as a full-time Artist, Newman worked as an Assistant Vice President at Neuberger Berman in New York City. He joined Neuberger Berman in 2018 as a member of the Financial Planning & Analysis team and transitioned into the role of Equity, Inclusion & Diversity Program Manager for the firm, the first person to hold this position. Newman originally moved to New York in the summer of 2014, joining Morgan Stanley as a financial analyst in their Wealth Management Division. As a visual artist, Newman has exhibited his work in galleries and museums both nationally and internationally. He is involved in various mentoring initiatives and arts-based non-profits, including his current role as a member of the Board of Directors for Americans for the Arts. Some of his noteworthy projects include The Words on White Movement, Silent Renaissance Series, and The 10,000 Paintings Project. Newman gives back to the community and his alma mater in his current role as the Morehouse NYC Alumni Association President.

Email: info@rxbart.com

IG: @rxbart

Harlem is a community with heart. A big one at that. And I don't just mean heart as in compassion and empathy. Harlem has moxie. It's the only neighborhood that gets the respect of a borough. Don't believe me? Ask any NYer and you'll find out. "Pride" is a depiction of the Jamaican Activist, Marcus Garvey. When it comes to heroes, Garvey always had a special place in my heart. I believe that independence and interdependence are forces that can coexist, but in order for someone to be free or feel empowered pride is a necessary ingredient. You must be proud of where you are from in order to protect it, to grow it, and to nurture it. You must be proud of your heritage to share it, honor it, and retain it. Garvey's style and demeanor gave African Americans, especially in Harlem, a new outlook on life. It wasn't always about being anti one particular group or being in a defensive / reflexive position, it was about having a sense of pride.

Actor Tyson Hall, native New Yorker, is a classically trained actor with over 20 years of experience. Hall can be found playing “Sam” in the hit show Power Book III: Raising Kanan, featured on the Starz network. He has also shared the television screen with Award-winning actors Forest Whitaker and Louise Guzman in the hit series The Godfather of Harlem as the character “The Vein” which is featured on the Epix network. Hall was most recognized in the indie film titled Pimp where he played Slim and had the opportunity to co-star with KeKe Palmer, Aunjanue Ellis, and the late rapper DMX.

His love for film and television does not supersede his passion for the stage. Studying theatre at Harlem School of the Arts under James Pringle, taught Hall the fundamentals of the stage. Hall was recently cast as “Julian Ortiz” in a play called “The Gate” featured at Gerald W Lynch Theater at John Jay College, which is his alumni. Tyson Hall has a love for learning, he furthered his education at City College where he learned classical theater and performed Shakespeare along with numerous stage productions. Hall later went on to become an active member of the Actor’s Studio, where he learned Stanislavski method of acting. Hall also received training from acting coach Susan Batson who taught him sense memory and character development.

Tyson Hall uses his artistic abilities and talent to educate, motivate and inspire. He feels that his responsibility is to bring vision to current and historical cultural values, in mediums that allow viewers to identify with a perspective that relates to their own lives or to the lives of others.

Tyson Hall was educated on the Streets of New York in what is known today as “Street Art.” His art has morphed into an unprecedented form of visionary delight and eye raising awareness.

He has since been featured at Miami’s Art Basel, and donated pieces for auction to New York City museums and charities such as The Jackie Robinson Foundation, Abyssinia Baptist Church, The MOCADA Museum, and the ARRC.

Email: thwizdum@yahoo.com

IG: @tysonhallorg

My name is Lance Johnson and I’m a visual artist who is inspired by words. The foundation of each piece I create is the layering of words throughout each canvas. I feel that words of inspiration are the soul of my work. Words have power and my goal as an artist is to create art that will resonate positively and evolve with each viewing. For me, the most amazing thing about art isn’t the final piece, it’s the creative process that is unleashed when you look at a blank canvas. I’m most passionate about the journey. The process is always most satisfying. For me it’s all about layers and textures. I look at a canvas like it’s a wall on say the lower east side. I try to create layers of history. The way old graffiti is covered by new graffiti and urban decay and torn posters create textures.

Also, I was inspired as a young teen by the Harlem Renaissance so collaboration is a major component of my artistry. I was born and raised in NY and it has had a profound effect on my art. the energy, vibrance and movement of the city are so inspiring to me. The diversity and soul of the city are celebrated in my work.

Email: Ljart3093@gmail.com

IG: @lanceljart

Art is therapy. Not only for the artist but also the community who views the work.