Prizewinning poet and author Kathy Price long admired the Woodstock Artists Association & Museum from afar, never dreaming that a long-dormant family link would help build the foundation of the museum’s first Juneteenth show and one her first curatorial gigs.
The connection was Tara Foley, the group’s director of education and public programs–whom she’d known decades ago under a different name, the daughter of her friend Joan Foley.
“I was so concerned about her,” said Price, a former Breadloaf scholar and winner of the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Competition who was nominated twice for a Pushcart Prize. “When I got the email from Tara, I thought, ‘could this be the person I’ve been looking for all these years?’”
It was a deeply personal experience for Foley, too.
“It was really thrilling to have the memory of my mom come up a lot,” Foley said. “When she first saw me, she started crying because I looked so much like my mom. So that was really special and unique.”
The exhibit, “It Takes a Village – A Gathering of the Tribes,” features themes of perseverance, freedom and joy through art, poetry, oral histories and interactive media, lasts through Aug. 9.
At the center of the gallery is an image of the late writer Steve Cannon, a blind gallery owner known as “the emperor of the Lower East Side” and founder of the group “A Gathering of the Tribes.” It’s placed above his couch next to the words, “ALL ART MUST GO.”
“He means all BS art must go,” Price said. “He really believed that you have to be true and raw and bold, which is who he was.”
The show also includes a recording of Price’s interview with legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins, a Woodstock resident who died last month at 95, accompanied by a storyboard she made for a children’s book inspired by his album “The Bridge.”
Also on show is Haitian painter Yolen Legrand’s Une Rue de Jacmel, among works that Price showcased to honor Caribbean Heritage Month.
“I chose pieces that I thought would inspire people to re-examine what they think about the world,” Price said. “The container of Juneteenth has to expand, so it’s not just the USA, but this movement of emancipation, and freedom and joy.”
Foley said she’s excited to see how the Juneteenth exhibit will have an impact on the Woodstock community.
“I want folks of color to feel welcome at WAAM,” Foley said. “The Black artistic community is one that we really, really want to feel supported and represented. There are ways that we can actively strive for diversity in the arts. It should be at the forefront of every arts organization, and feeling like we can play a small part in that is really meaningful.”
Eva Fulmer is an intern and contributing reporter. You can reach her at eva@theoverlooknews.com.
