South Queens Women’s March opens exhibit for underrepresented artists
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A new art exhibit inside the King Manor Museum highlights artists who have typically been overlooked in the telling of Queens’ story. Photo courtesy of Renee K Productions
By Jacob Kaye
A new art exhibition aimed at highlighting artists of color whose work has typically been overlooked by the art establishment opened in Jamaica last weekend.
The “Made in Queens” exhibition was organized and curated by the South Queens Women’s March, who hosted the opening night of their inaugural show on Saturday, May 15, inside the King Manor Museum.
“South Queens Women’s March was founded to celebrate the resilience of women, girls and gender-fluid people in our community in spite of the struggles we continue to experience. We exist to connect women, girls and gender-fluid people with the tools they need to thrive. This includes access to the arts,” said Aminta Kilawan-Narine, the founder and director of SQWM. “For too long, access has been cost-prohibitive and not reflective of our actual communities. We’ve made it a point to use art as a catalyst for social and political change, and as part of healing in our work to curb gender-based violence. Our team has worked tirelessly to bring this offering to our beloved Queens.”
The exhibit, which will run through Sept. 15, features work from a handful of local artists including Veli V, Kerry Cox, Amy Simon, Seema Shakti, Amelia Inderjeit, Farhana Akther, Movina Seepersaud, Kim David, Juliet James, Angela Miskis, Maria Liebana, Shristi Sookram, Sherese Francis and Giancarlo Vargas.
The art is centered around Queens and tells “the story of our beautiful borough in a way never before done,” according to Kilawan-Narine. The exhibit is curated by SQWM board member Fatima Shabbir.
“Through the selection and design process, I was constantly thinking about art accessibility and community representation,” Shabbir said. “This is an exhibit I wanted to see growing up in Queens and one I‘ve always wanted to participate in.”
The exhibit was curated by SQWM board member Fatima Shabbir. Photo courtesy of Renee K Productions
Saturday’s opening, which was sponsored by The Nest Restaurant and Bar and Mr. Wonton Queens, High Profile Sounds and Events and Renee K Productions, was attended by several local electeds, including Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson and a representative for City Councilmember Adrienne Adams.
The artists were given citations from Mayor Bill de Blasio for their contributions to the city’s arts and culture.
The partnership between the King Manor Museum and the SQWM isn’t new. The two groups began working together during the height of the pandemic. SQWM hosted a PPE and period supplies give-away outside of the museum and the pair recently collaborated on a food pantry event.
“We are so honored to offer space to this organization that does such meaningful community work, said Kelsey Brow, the executive director of the King Manor Museum. “The contrast of contemporary art with the nearly 250-year-old architecture brings such vibrancy to the museum and fits perfectly with our vision of using lessons from the past to shine a light on contemporary issues. It's even more meaningful that all the art comes from Queens, the World's Borough.”
Reservations to view the exhibit can be made by visiting King Manor Museum’s website at kingmanor.org/reservations.
