DMST Atelier is pleased to present “Free & Abstract,” a group show featuring the abstract work of six visual artists; Amanda Flowers, Arnaya Needleman, John French, Hope Okere, Marantz Moon and Sydneé Bethel, as well as an reflective essay by co-founder of Black Image Center, artist, writer and organizer, Maya June. In place of a more traditional art exhibition text, we commissioned Maya to write a piece in reflection of the Juneteenth holiday. Below is an *excerpt of that essay - On Juneteenth, I like to take a page from the Passover playbook. For me, asking questions about where we’ve been and where we’re going is key component of the annual ritual that Juneteenth offers. I reflect on my lineage as a Black southerner and try, in the spirit of Bahíyyih Nakhjavání, to imagine where we could possibly go from here, as we emerge from our adolescence, and how I can contribute to my global community as we chart our collective freedom. While we celebrate the liberation of our Texan ancestors from chattel slavery (two years after the rest of the country’s enslaved population), I think of Fannie Lou Hamer’s words when she said that “nobody is free until everybody’s free.” In my reflections and imaginings, Juneteenth creates a portal into a new world. In this world, both past and future simultaneously unfold, informing the decisions we make in the present. There, we weigh our actions through the lens of being a good descendant and being a good ancestor. We practice veneration and we tend to planted seeds, not because someone told us to but because it is our way of life. Juneteenth offers us an opportunity to imagine what the whole world could be like if we infused the energy that was released on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas into everything we do. If you have any questions about the exhibition or for appointments please contact us at Hello@dmstatelier.com or @dmstatelier via instagram.