Breathing While Black

Comments

Christine Texiera: What an amazing show. Thank you.

Anonymous: A really excellent exhibit.  I'm honored to be included.

Lynn Peterfreund: What a powerful show of work. It's very inspiring to me in many ways. Thank you to the artists and the curators!!!

Dorothy Talavera: Congratulations to my friend Ronaldo Byrd.  The work selected is so sweet.  It's placement near the end of the slide show sends a powerful message.  Thank you.

David Todd: Very powerful! Thank you.

Gayle Hudson: A powerful show. I am moved, grateful and motivated. Thank you.

Lisa Fontes: Amazing, powerful, diverse exhibition. I will look at it repeatedly and share the link with others. Thank you Augusta Savage Gallery! Art makes it just a little more possible to survive these crazy times.

Veronica Oglesby: I am a fellow Artist these paintings are breath taking

Eric Broudy: Incredibly powerful collection of work. It'd make a great book! Thank you for doing this exhibition.

Tobias Baskin: Powerful, inspiring, thank you

Anonymous: Thank you for putting together this moving portrait of the current state of our nation. I love that the artists are teens through professionals- all of these voices are valid and need to be heard.

Carolyn McDaniel: Disturbing, disruptive,sobering, powerful, and necessary.

Anonymous: What a powerful collection! Really grateful for the opportunity to view this exhibition digitally.

Karen Kurczynski: Fascinating range of work. Very moving. Thank you!

Giselle Lanausse: Beautiful and inspiring work of art. Thank you all

Beckie Markarian: Wow. Such a powerful, important collection of work. I am so thankful to all of the artists for sharing their art with us.

Lois Brown: Whoa! - profound, powerful and potent.   Thank you.

Linda Patrick: Congrats to all the artist. I believe you all are winners. We must express the reality of today through all aspects of art which is a voice that is so undeniably real!

Andrietta Dicks: Great job done by all. Congratulations Eddie Watkins! Your work is absolutely amazing!!"

Roger Hubbert: The anger is palpable.........August 2020 was indeed Savage.

Zahra Sharif: Very powerful, inspiring and provocative. In order to empathise we need to vulnerable.

Joy Hawkins: Thank you for the platform that allowed me to see these talented artists.

Audrey Markarian: Thank you for putting together such a powerful collection.

Marea Wexler: This is remarkable. Stunning. Haunting. Devastating. Moving. Heartbreaking. Humbling. Inspiring. Rage producing. Thought provoking. Action inducing. Thank you. I will revisit it many times.

Janet Veitch: Painful and beautiful exhibit.  Thanks.

Zorina Costello: Great event and thank you Dr.Lisa Love Whittington, Artist.

Ethel Poindexter: Powerful and moving. I must say this was really well presented as well.  This is my first on line show that I have atended.  Thank you"

Anonymous: Amazing exhibit.

Arlanda Williams: Overwhelmed

jannine covelli: artist united

Anonymous: Do you see the pain, the harm, the trauma. Different Black artists articulating shared experiences tied together through common threads. Sad and hurtful to know we collectively and individually experience this pain. However, it helps the sanity to know that Black folks, who have no relationship to one another, are tied together through our existence in the face of white supremacy. These artists are essential and their work speaks volumes. Peace to you all.

Joellen Persad: Thank you for using art to bring international perspective and discussion

Ines Tolentino: It is a powerful exhibition. We need it. I am honored and proud to participe.

Anonymous: Lyncing human beings hanging from trees was not important enough to stop. Democracy is important. We must stop pretending that there is real respect. Stop executing innocent people because scared ignorant white people
want to feel superior. The chaos is because there is a belief that only white rich people matter.

Maria Ludovica Carucci: Powerful artworks. Thanks for organizing this exhibition. Love the painting of George Floyd by Saleh Lo.
Anonymous: I was invited by the artist, Lisa Love Whittington and extended the invitation to my friends

Susan Morrello: Thank you for putting together these powerful images.

Lisa Whittington: Glad to be a part of this exhibit.  Thank you!

Sam Wallace: Amazing and powerful work in this exhibition

Timothy Stanley: LOVE IT

Ronaldo Byrd: The virtual exhibition was a new experience for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Mindy Jenkins: Beautiful, moving, powerful....infuriating, heartbreaking, inspiring. Thank you to all the artists for sharing their talent, their lives, their work and their emotion with us.

DIANE PELZER: Beautiful artwork. I enjoyed the different pictures.

Derek Richardson: The exhibit was powerful and stunning. I was so impressed with all the artist! Bravo!

Capt. James V: All smiles

Veronica Partex: Wow that was super meaning full. That touched me. That made me think about the  world differently.

Teresa Fix: Mindful art work and an amazing exhibit. I will certainly view this site again.

Anonymous: Powerful!

Lynn Adler: A very diverse and powerful show - thank you for putting this together and giving a voice to so many artists.

Ulysses Smith: - timeless

Becky Greene: I was deeply moved by these stunning works of art.  As a white person, they humbled me, made me think, made me feel, made me cry, made me want to do better and better in reparation for the lives of BIPOC in this country, and elsewhere. Thank you.

Anonymous: I felt so many different emotions as I viewed this amazing exhibition. The strongest being shame because I'm white.

Lisa Galer: Such powerful and moving images.

Fatima Melgar: The exhibition broke my heart but it also gave me hope for a better tomorrow ♥️

Dhan Prasad: I thank all the team members and jury members of The UMass Fine Arts Center for selecting my art work for the Digital Exhibition.

ReGina Adams: Very nice presentation. Great job Ed Watkins

theresa majoy: This is a powerful, relevant, exhibit.  We appreciate the expressions of sentiments reflecting the reality of our current situation.  May this contribute to the process of change so desperately needed.

Anonymous: "The Fire Next Time."  A powerful exhibit.  Thank you.

Phoebe McKinnell: Thank you, artists.

John Ebbets: Some really wonderful pieces.

Anonymous: Great, insightful, thoughtful works!

Anne Glapion: Thank you for this beautiful exhibit.

Lindiwe Sibeko: Powerful, painful, resiliency, strong, passionate, always rising, hope....

Anonymous: I wish to be there for the exhibition

Eddie Watkins: Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be apart of this powerful and timely exhibition.

Talib Sadiq: Some very powerful messages in their Art.

Betsy Damon: This is a powerful must see show on many levels.  Inclusion of many and many counties, diversity of media. music, all kinds of flat work.   What stood out was the enormous pain .... the beauty, deep caring  of being black was occasionally express in some work.  However predominately I got to experience myself face to face with the oppression. daily persistent and that is great. Thank you to all for creating this show

Sandy Lisella: Art that disturbs, like an electric shock to the heart. Very powerful and well-curated. Thank you for the experience.

Joseph Ortiz: Striking

Michele Davis: Beautiful simply beautiful❤❤

Nina Scott: Absolutely stunning. Kudos to all of the artists! I particularly enjoyed the offerings by Eddie Watkins! Thank you for such depth and insight.

Sejah Rollins-Laurent: Honest art

Anonymous: Beautiful, important show. Thank you for making this type of work accessible.

Anonymous: Its amazing how different talented individuals interprete their own feelings about a cause so beautifully yet uniquely . Each art work left me mesmerized and inspired at the same time. Art is truly the essence of life

Joan Temkin: Powerful, amazing images. Thank you.

Patricia Weiss: The enormity of this outpouring of sadness and anger and irony is overwhelming.  i am sitting here with chills and sadness for the frustrations that have befallen all of us.  It ought not be this way and we all know that.  What will it take to get even a majority on board to see how pathetic this systemic racism is affecting our children. Totally awesome works of art expressing the plight of our fellow human beings, thank you so much!

Cyndi Long: Some of these were fantastic. Overall, I really loved it and thank you for putting it together

Sèmíàfín: All lives matter. Our voices will be heard and peace will be restored.

Anonymous: Beautiful Pieces....

Sherwin Long: I’m proud to be apart of such a powerful gallery

Tory Dixon: very powerful! Thank you for hosting this exhibit.

Dana Kornfeld: outstanding collection of artists and art! More Lisa Whittington.

Betsey Wolfson: Kudos! This is impressive.

Anonymous: thank you for posting this amazing exhibit . . .

Judith Bree: Thank you for making this exhibit available to us at home. It was moving.

Dr. Tammie Samuels: BREATH-TAKING!!

Susan Langlois: Thank you--it a gift to connect with these emotions!

Ariel Williams: I am so proud of you Jazzmin , your art work has always been inspirational

Maureen Jones: Thank you for the strength, pain, rage, grief and education in every piece of art. Incredible collection. I bow my head.

Vincent G Carter: Great collection of diverse images and photographs. Captivating, causing me to pause at each image. Thanks for making it available virtually.

Stacia Carter: Love this exhibit.  Some are so powerful they make you look away to think so you can absorb the meaning. Some I didn't understand.  I recognized Mutope Johnson's work before I saw his name.

Della Wells: Powerful and profound.

Jenny Adams: Thank you for this wonderful exhibit!

Tina Johnson: Thoughtfully curated. Thank you!

Hilary Zetler: I was at the opening reception. I was privileged to have a photo accepted for the exhibition. The works on show were of a high standard and expressed the artists feelings. The zoom opening was interesting. I think you should have placed larger numbers of people in the rooms so there would be more people to converse with

karen spindel: Thank you for allowing me to view this powerful exhibit from my home.

Trenia Ketchens Price: The art work of Mr. Robert Ketchens and others was simply breathtaking.

Cheryl Garrity: What a powerful exhibit on the current racial tensions of 2020.

Ella Alkiewicz: Thank you everyone for the beautiful images. What a collection. I’m flabbergasted and grateful to view them.

Antonia Ramos: It's scary, emotional, stressful, thoughtful, hurtful, painful and many other words that are indescribable for the treatment of these human being.  The rage that runs through their veins is just because the color of their skin, their belief or by the way they're represented has nothing to compare with the blood that runs in everyones veins the same way.  I, we pray for everyone but something else has to happen in order to stop this violence, killing of blacks or Afro Americans.  Black Lives Matter & All Lives Matter should be everyones motto but it starts here.  Thank you for this inspiring work of art.

Anonymous: Thanks for this enormously powerful exhibit.

Arpita Biswas: Thank you for bringing these powerful pieces of art to us!

Anonymous: Extraordinary

Jacomus Zechariah: I love to see the free mind of art coming together with this world but its very unfortunate that this is the topic...(GOD) Yahuwah said that revenge is his! With issues like these arising, its hard not to get mad at the puppet masters that are pulling the strings. Some of us want to give them hell for what they are causing but that is only going to put us back futher as a people. It's time to wake up from this false reality, where we believe that protesting is going to solve anything. So If we can't be free in this world, it's time to separate from this world so that we can free ourselves from all this hate that's going on out their. #LIVEFREEORSUFFER"

Maria Rios: Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Dr. Nicole Maffett-Iyabor: Beautiful. Absolutely thought provoking, factual & beautiful.

Anonymous: Beautiful, impactful. Thank you!

Laurie Simmons: Powerful.

Noga Flory: Extraordinary exhibit!

jiun: thank you!

Ophelia Sowers: Thank you!

Rainbow Matthews: What my skin shows: its colour. What it doesn't show: my personality, my knowledge, my experiences

Anonymous: Incredibly powerful. Thank you.

David Miller: Thank you for such a powerful array of work. I hope to see at least some of these in person and close someday.

Virginia Rechtschaffen: This artwork is powerful, poignant, haunting,  BEAUTIFUL.  It’s the first time seeing an art exhibit that as I look into each piece and stay there, I cry, want to scream, feel anguish.  The exhibit is a direct commentary on these months (years, decades, centuries).  And we need, need, need to heal!!!

Patrice McFadin: Thank you for sharing this touching show with us.  The artists' work is beyond amazing.

Anonymous: very Powerful

Karen Stevens: Beautiful, disturbing and powerful....

Rosa Santiago: Beautiful, captivating, and enlightening artwork; diverse spectrum of artists- much appreciated, thank you!

Anna Yeakley: Thank you for making this powerful and beautiful exhibit available online.  Such a powerful combination of images.  I'm grateful I got to see these images that convey such a great mix of emotion, powerful messages, and visual beauty. Thank you.

Mary Witt: What a powerful exhibit. Thank you for putting this together for all of us to see online.

Anonymous: Thank you. Heartbreaking, beautiful and powerful.

Betsy Krause: This show is so full of pain, beauty, imagination, and inspiration. It brings to mind the long history of freedom struggles. Thank you to all the artists and curators for making it happen.

Anonymous: Thank you to all of the artists who participated and to the Augusta Savage Gallery for making this possible.  Very powerful collection of images and videos.

Alexis Ali: This is truly an incredible exhibition. From a place of white privilege, it is hard for me to understand the constant fear Black people face every day just living in this country. These art pieces have opened my eyes just a little bit wider and I thank these artists for helping me empathize on a deeper level.

Alison Kleinfeld: What an amazing collection.Some of these pieces are incredibly moving, some are heart breaking, some are gorgeous, some are complex and hard to understand, some a simple. All are powerful.

Joshua Berins: Great show!

Charlie Knight: How can we work hard and push our leaders so all people are listened to and all folks can get the good education and the good jobs.  I do not mean jobs that they are not qualified for, I mean jobs that they have the skills to do and can advance in. There is NO justification for any form of prejudice over anyone else that is not based on ability. All "should not look down on anyone else unless you are helping them up" to the same level you are on,

Gillis Kallem: Beautiful show with all the feels!  Power in imagery!

MoRaya Ferryman: What a wonderful collection!

Dana Carnegie: Very moving. Thank you for presenting this digitally.

Eunice Whitmal: That was powerful. Thank you.

Celia L.: At a first glance I can not look away.  Art will sustain us.  Thx for making this exhibit virtual.   I will return to spend more time with individual pieces.  Well done. Prompted to open link shared in FAC email.

Anonymous: Tony Cade Bambara said that "The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible". These works are doing that and more.

Abigail Wendell: Thank you for this beautiful collection of heart wrenching and powerful pieces of art. The enormity of the pain is overwhelming.

Wileen Jamison: Love.

Barbara Love: This is powerful, beautiful, moving. Thank you.

Vonetta Lightfoot:  This is a very powerful and poignant exhibit! There were pieces that brought chills and some that made me tear up. Thank you for bringing light to this issue and doing so in such a amazing way.

Darpan Gokharu: It was enthralling and humbling to be able to see this exhibit. Thank you!

Anonymous: I found the photography in this exhibit particularly powerful. Well done!

Andre Pace: Thank you.. for showing my pieces..

Anonymous: Fantastic gallery artwork, creative exhibits! Wish this was there when I was a student at Smith and taking courses at UMass' Black Studies Department in 1970-74! When Covid19 is over and the coast is clear, I will be back with a busload of 5-College alums from New York City! Thank you! Blessings!

Timiekka McCants: This was very powerful.

Dawna Gauvin: Thank you for sharing; very thought-provoking.

Peter Jeranyama: I belong to the affected ethnic group- can't wait to see the depiction.

Lena Fletcher: These are incredible. Amazingly moving. Gratitude to the artists and to the gallery!

Gigi Boldon: A Wonderful exhibit...during this perilous time. BRAVO to ALL the artist! #VOTE2020

Sylvia Jackson: Powerful and timely exhibit. Thank you!

Jules Jones: Moved to tears.

Anonymous: Wow! Truly incredible exhibition which brings up so many issues, people, injustices, both horrific and beautiful moments. So much food for thought, discussion and inspiration.

Leo Gray: Was educated and informed by the humanitariasm presented via the artistry that was included in presentation. I enjoyed the slide show.

Anonymous: These works were all heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. The individual experience and view of each artist really shined through. This needs to be seen by more people.

Anonymous: Thank you for creating this gathering of work..and to the artists.

Anonymous: Very beautiful exhibition and painful too.

Alice Goodwin-Brown: So many powerful, beautiful works!  This is a fascinating and illuminating exhibit.  Thank you!

Madeline Liebling: Incredibly rich and powerful work!  I'm so glad I viewed this, and will again.

Anne Flaherty: I am hoping to return to view more soon. I love the theme first of all. Then as running through the first picture that caught me is Watkins "Surrender" as the tattoos and the wings and the pure weight carried by the man's full aura. Well, I am grateful for this exhibit and hope to come back to visit more soon.  Thank you so much!

Sophie Leger: Wow! powerful and touching! Thank you

Darlene Elias: It is powerful and exhilarating when I see in pictures what I am feeling.  Thank you.

Jane Braaten: Thank you. Your work communicates

Sharin Alpert: This was a beautiful show. Thanks for making it available online!

Jen Dolan: I wanted to thank everyone who was involved in this amazing exhibit but I want to especially thank the artists.  After attending the opening and looking at the art work I decided to get my students involved.  I had them pick three slides, describe the art work and and then share how they connected to it or how it made them feel.  These were all first year students and I was humbled by the depth of their insights and their willingness to connect to the art work on such a personal level.  Due to that success I then suggested the book group I was involved in, "How to be an Antiracist" by Dr. Ibram Kendi, engage in a similar activity.  The group was very enthusiastic about the proposal and again another wonderful discussion was held.  Over the years I have read many well written and thought provoking articles and books about racism but the art exhibit enabled me to get out of my head and in to a more visceral space which truly deepened the depth of my learning. This was a difficult exhibit to experience but it was one of the best educational experiences I have had.  Again, thank you all so very much.

Christine A. Agnitti: Thought-provoking.  Thank you.

Shira Zaid: Thank you for creating this incredible virtual exhibition!

Anonymous: Great Exhibit. I'm thoroughly depressed. I try not to think of the masses Whose depression is chronic every waking hour.

Su: Way too Powerful

Darlene Francis: POWERFUL!!

Stacia Bussey: Each piece of artwork spoke to me in a diffferent way!

Anonymous: Powerful and moving 

Renee Dingman: Wow. This speaks a lot of volume

Bobby Johnson: Very amazing works. I wish I could see it all in person.