The “Black Culture, As Is: Ya Feel Me?” exhibition in the Brother Kenneth Chapman Gallery opened on Feb. 1. The exhibit aims to celebrate black culture in honor of Black History Month, and is the first event on the college’s online calendar for the month’s celebrations.

The exhibition was curated by Becky Mills and featured artists like Curtis Bryant, Aston LaMelle-Thomas, Shayavia McFarlane, Gabriel Mills and Becky Mills. The featured work varied from journal entries, photographs, portraits and paintings.

“The exhibition explores perspectives of African American artists whose themes include spirituality, emotional truth, self-exploration, optimism, and cultural identity destigmatizing Blackness,” according to the Iona College Arts Council Event Calendar online.

Bryant’s piece, “Prepared: The Practice of Self Archiving,” featured several journal entries that he wrote throughout the span of a year. The piece had several different plots, some of which were about: the relationship Brown had with his separated parents and his new step-mother; moving away from New York to California; starting a fashion line and his brother.

While each journal entry is different and doesn’t necessarily have a beginning or an end, each entry was a small glimpse into the artist’s daily life.

“Sharing such experiences with the viewer, is not easy for me but I imagine, it’s going to conjure so much healing, not just for me but the viewer as well,” Bryant said, according to the pamphlet. “Above all my main objective is to, tell my story while I’m still here to tell it.”

Junior Eirene Edison is one of the Iona students who have taken a look at the exhibit.

“I really enjoyed the ‘Skin I’m In’ picture, and I’m glad to see a celebration of diversity,” Edison said.

“Skin I’m In” and “Flower Boy” were the two photography pieces by McFarlane. One piece showed a woman of color, Geraldine Jean-Jacques, in vibrant yellow paint.

According to McFarlane, the aim was to “represent the woman in charge; that woman remain true to themselves in the society we live in today.” The other piece, “Flower Boy” is said to “represent confidence in young black men” and showcases a man, Ismael Toure, surrounded by flowers and colors representing joy, warmth and freedom.

Gallery Director and Coordinator of Arts Programming Madalyn Barbero-Jordan said that she asked a mutual friend of hers to recommend a curator for a show celebrating Black History Month. The friend recommended Becky Mills – she chose the theme and was tweaked as time moved forward by both Mills and Barbero-Jordan once Mills accepted the offer, according to an email from Barbero-Jordan.

“I came up with concepts that I associate with blackness that aren’t the stereotypical view on black people,” Becky Mills said. “There is more to being black than learning about Martin Luther King every year.”

Barbero-Jordan said in an email that a mini exhibition of work from Haitian artists are on display in the gallery’s gift shop. She added that all funds from the items are directly going to help feed and educated Haitians in poverty. It is made possible through a collaboration with the Edmund Rice Foundation and Iona Prep, she said.

There are a number of events scheduled for Black History Month sponsored by other clubs. The Black Student Union is one of these organizations holding events throughout the month.

Senior Tamara Valcin, vice president of BSU, said that the gallery’s exhibit is a great way to celebrate Black History Month.

“Art is one of the greatest means of expression,” Valcin said in an email. “Celebrating Black History Month through art allows for open expression of experiences and perceptions. Overall, it helps us celebrate in style!”

She said that some of the events that BSU is either sponsoring or co-sponsoring include “Brivia: Black Trivia” on Feb. 8 and “Looking for Love” on Feb. 12.

The exhibit will run from Feb. 1 to Feb. 22. The gallery is open Mondays to Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 8 pm and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

The full calendar of Iona’s Black History Month events can be found at iona.edu under the Campus Events tab.