Heroes of Black History: Works by Chloe Whitmore, Paris Whitmore, Samara Gibson, and Makaio Gibson presented at TAC

— February Exhibition – Youth Gallery, Presented by Tioga Arts Council —

Tioga Arts Council recently announced its February exhibition, “Heroes of Black History,” featuring works by Chloe (age 16), Paris (age 13), Samara (age 6), and Makaio (age 3). The exhibition opens on the first Friday, Feb. 7, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Youth Gallery located at 179 Front St. in Owego.

Heroes of Black History showcases recent works by Chloe Whitmore (age 16), Paris Whitmore (age 13), Samara Gibson (age 6) and Makaio Gibson (age 3). These young artists chose mixed media and a vintage comic book style to depict the brave heroes of black history they have been studying, using the medium of collage to put these ideas together to create real-life heroes in a vibrant, well-loved vintage comic book style.

They hope that by sharing these creative images, their work will inspire other young people to learn more about Black history heroes and their lives. Working together on their art at their family farm in a multi-generational homeschool class, they inspire and support each other. Samara expressed about her art, “My art is beautiful. I put all my pressure, hard work, and love into it.”

“I like portraying them as recognizable classic superheroes because it brings attention to the fact that they really are superheroes and just aren’t always recognized as such,” said Chloe Whitmore, adding, “I like doing collage art because I like using all different mediums. I don’t usually do this particular type of collage but it was exciting to try out different things and try and tie the vibe the person gave me to a superhero.”

“This isn’t the sort of art I usually do. I usually do painting and sketching, but since it’s black history month I decided to do Harriet Tubman and Flo Jo and portray them as marvel characters because everyone seems to look up to the marvel heroes even if they are fictional,” said Paris Whitmore, adding, “These two Women are real heroes.”

“I chose these (Josephine Baker and Raven Wilkinson) people because I love them and they are my favorite,” said Samara Gibson, adding, “Collage is my favorite. I love art and would like to show my art to everybody.”

“Because I wanted to, for my friends,” said Makaio Gibson.

The Exhibit will be open Feb. 8-28, Wednesday through Saturday, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Gallery.

Contact Christina Di Stefano at tiogaartscouncil@gmail.com if you have any additional questions or wish to inquire about a purchase.