You're Invited To Roosevelt Island Black History Month Celebration At Gallery RIVAA - Opening Reception For Cultural Preservation Art Exhibition Saturday February 9, Curated By Local Resident Lorraine Williams

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) and Gallery RIVAA are hosting a celebration of Black History Month at Gallery RIVAA on Saturday February 9 with an opening reception  for "Cultural Preservation", an art exhibition curated by resident Lorraine Williams.

According to RIOC:

The Roosevelt Island Visual Arts Association (RIVAA), in partnership with the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC), will host its Annual Black History Month Exhibition, “Cultural Preservation”, starting this Saturday, February 9th through Sunday, March 3rd.

Curated by Island resident Lorraine Williams, this eclectic showing of art includes a variety of mediums, styles, and messages and includes works from artists Andrew Nichols, Aziza, Bianca Dorsey, Ida Owens, LeVar “Var” Lawrence, Mauricio “Gleams” Baez, Micheline Hess, Mona Coichy Haigler, N. Steven Harris, Saundra Lamb, as well as art and artifacts from Nigeria and Madagascar.

Join us for the opening reception this Saturday, February 9th from 5-8 PM at Gallery RIVAA (527 Main St.). Featuring music and spoken word performances from The RI Jazz Collaborative with Lynn Beville, and a special reading by David Lamb and children from the Roosevelt Island Youth Center. Admission is free and open to the public.

Gallery RIVAA hours for the exhibition are Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 – 9 PM, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 AM – 5 PM.

RIOC Public Safety Department Deputy Director Kevin Brown spoke at the Senior Center about what Black History Month means to him at the Roosevelt Island 2017 celebration:

... growing up under the guidance of his grandmother, who taught him to keep his head up and overcome any and all obstacles with steadfastness. He confessed his pride in his children and their successful education, always instilling progress upon them, following a life-long view on life through the teachings of his grandmother....

More on Black History Month from these young people



and this February 1 CBS News report.