Wyatt Barczak is a News Clerk for the Post and Courier. He graduated from the College of Charleston. He contributes to The Post and Courier's arts and entertainment section, Charleston Scene.
Art can be used for many things: a political statement, a personal expression, a community think-tank, a hope for the future. It's a beautiful thing when all of these come together.
The Park Circle Community Building has opened its doors to dozens of Black artists this February as they do just that.
Among Black History Month special events for this year, Park Circle and the North Charleston Cultural Arts team have helped organize this new exhibit, "Beyond Time," which features works from 27 talented Black artists from around the state.
Among works on display are a wide variety of crafts, photography, oil and acrylic paintings, pen and ink canvas art, 3D works, fiber pieces, an interactive installation and more.
When it came to deciding on a theme for this exhibit, artist and co-curator Austin Reynolds shared that the focus was on "something that speaks to where they come from and where they're going." Artists were tasked with creating a work that expresses what it means to craft an intentional future.
Upon entering the building in the center of Park Circle, spectators are greeted right away with an interactive installation from longtime mixed media artist and educator Damian Johnson. A selection from his "Out of the Box" series, this work, which is crafted on cardboard boxes, breaks the rule of "look, don't touch" typical at art galleries. Instead, it encourages attendees to physically feel an in-progress piece centered on today's uneasy social climate.
The main exhibit, in warm colors, exudes confidence and creativity, highlighting themes of Afrofuturism.
There's elegant realism in grief-stricken human hands depicted in acrylic yellows and verdant greens. Digital photography depicts graceful forms, and shape takes hold in stunning woodworks and ceramics.
An early-February artist talk event was led by Reynolds and fellow curator and community leader KELA. The event put the spotlight on roughly a dozen of the featured artists as they opened up about their processes and motivation.
When asked what KELA hoped spectators could take away from this exhibit, she told The Post and Courier the hope was for all kinds of people to come in and experience it.
"A lot of these artists are first-time exhibitors, so it also gives them a platform to share their works with everyone," said KELA.
As an artist and community leader, KELA assists in organizing The Warm Juice, a social-media group built to provide artists with a safe space to express themselves and meet others with similar creative passions.
"Always connecting, learning and consistently creating," KELA reaffirmed the group's goals with a smile. The Warm Juice meets regularly to provide artist critiques and workshops offering creative feedback toward members' current projects.
The Park Circle exhibit has organized a closing reception, open to the public, that will feature live art, live performances, closing statements from curators and more. The reception will be from 5-8 p.m. on Feb. 28 at the Park Circle Community Building, 4800 Park Circle, North Charleston, and it will round out Park Circle's Black History Month events.