Black in Place is a holding space for invocation, re-memory, and unbridled Black expression. Remedying erasure that historically fueled what esteemed African-American collectors Bernard and Shirley Kinsey refer to as the “myth of absence,” artworks in this exhibition dispel the notion that what is unseen does not exist. The paradox of existing while being rendered invisible is an ongoing reality for the Black Diaspora, particularly in the West. This exhibition interrogates the living contradictions of existing while Black, invocates ancestral and indigenous wisdom, and explores how Black artists cultivate dreaming through making. The artists presented are Leslie Adkins, Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja, Denise ‘deLaSNP’ Coke, Dea Jenkins, Steven A. Johnson II, Kandy G. Lopez, Rosalyn Myles, Cheyann Washington, and Fallon Williams. Their art practices reflect journeys of cultural enunciation and recontextualization of Black expression, particularly in white-dominated spaces. Through audio, portraiture, painting, digital/Augmented Reality, fiber art, poetry, drawing, and installation, the artworks engage hidden narratives, ancestral wisdom and unbridled expression to both sow and assert Black existence. The opening reception for Black in Place will be held on Saturday, January 25th from 2pm - 4pm. This free, public event will include a performance of Ancestral Libation by Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja. Black in Place will be on view in the gallery through March 29, 2025, with free public visiting hours Thursdays through Saturdays, from 10am to 5pm. This exhibition is supported by the California Natural Resources Agency for the Museum Grant Program under the California Cultural and Historical Endowment, the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture. Please note that pets are not allowed inside our buildings. For questions, please email gallery@angelsgateart.org. More information about AGCC is available at angelsgateart.org Image: Denise ‘deLaSNP’ Coke, Bodega (Just Another Day), 2022. Digital print with augmented reality capabilities.