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When Community Arts of Elmira approached Jan Kather, Elmira College Instructor of Art, about installing a photo exhibit of her work, she was intrigued. At first, the show was meant to highlight photos of Black Elmirans that Kather created between 1989 and 1992. But Kather had an idea. She had recently seen a Community Arts outdoor exhibit featuring Black artists during the Elmira Opportunity Program (EOP) Juneteenth Celebration. She wanted to combine the past with the present and proposed that her exhibition also include artwork by Black artists in the community.
“And that’s how the show grew from only my work to include the works of Dion Browne, Tammy Heath, Jharmi "Cuba" Leach, and my Elmira College student Reagen Jones ’29,” said Kather.
The exhibit that came together is called An Elmira Legacy: A Look Back at Black Leaders During the Civil Rights Era and a View Today of Contemporary Black Artists.
Free and open to the public, the show first opened at Community Arts on August 21 and will run through Saturday, September 19. There is an artist celebration from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 10, with an Artist Talk at 6:00 p.m., featuring the presenting artists.
Photo taken by Jan Kather of Bessie Berry, Chemung County's first Black social worker and probation officer.
Kather’s photos were originally part of an Oral History project sponsored by the Chemung County Historical Society. She helped document the lives of Elmira’s African American residents who lived through the Civil Rights era of the 1960s. Pairing selected photographs with the work of contemporary Black artists “suggests a continuity that spans generations,” wrote Kather.
“These contemporary Elmira artists have inherited the same spirit of strengthening the community through creativity, generosity, and artistic expression,” she continued.
Kather shared how being part of the Oral History project had been an impactful learning experience. She had to track down and interview her subjects while developing her documentary photography skills.
That’s why it’s fitting that the current exhibit provided such a meaningful learning experience for Jones, an EC Art Major in her second year. Lynne Rusinko ’90, President of Community Arts of Elmira, and Kather invited Jones to install the art for the exhibition in The Community Art Gallery.
Reagen Jones ’29 hangs photos for the Community Arts exhibit on display through September 19.
“Being in charge of hanging this show was a sign that Lynne and Jan trusted me,” shared Jones. “I had never hung a show before, but they saw the potential in me and acted on it. That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for as an aspiring young artist. I really enjoyed being put in charge of this part of the show, and I felt so honored that I made sure I put my heart into the process.”
Jones added that the process taught her how to hang artwork as well as how to frame, mat, and wire the pieces. “These are awesome skills for me to know for my future in the art world.”
“Reagen has been extraordinary,” said Rusinko. “She teaches as she learns. The exhibition is stunning, and tells a story within a story within a story. Reagen has created layers of artists and artwork, and community. We are grateful to her and to all of the exhibiting artists, as well as to the Chemung County Historical Society.”
“I learned that hanging artwork is a privilege,” Jones said. “Artists trust you with exclusive access to their pieces, and that you'll handle them with care. This experience felt like art itself. I enjoyed finding the perfect spot on the wall for the photographs to lie so they weren’t tilted or slanted, and so that the lighting hit them just right for them to form a beautiful horizontal line of impact.”
Jones looks forward to getting more experience with hanging a show while at EC.
“I left this experience feeling more connected to my creativity and passion than before. And to me, that's what it's all about!” she exclaimed.
Jones will also continue to engage with the Community Arts, including professional muralists involved with the Elmira Infinite Canvas, a public art program coordinated through the Community Arts. To learn more, visit www.communityartsofelmira.com, and follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
