2nd Annual Black History Festival of the Arts

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The Space Between

February 20th - March 15th, 2026

Curator: Wisdom Baty

Opening Reception @ 3rd Fl. Gallery, 1029 W 35th Chicago IL 60609, 2/20/2026 @ 7-10 PM

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OH Art Foundation, in collaboration with WILD YAMS, presents The Space Between, a retrospective featuring a seven-year reflection on the evolution of our Black mother, artist-run residency and collective. The exhibition foregrounds the WILD YAMS residency as an act of making intentional partnerships leading to the survival and vitality of an artist's growth while centering black women's creative labor literally and figuratively. On view from February 20th to March 15th, 2026, we invite all to join us for the exhibition opening on Friday, February 20th, from 7-10 pm on the 3rd floor of the Zhou B Art Center.

This retrospective brings together paintings, photographs, sculptures, textiles, installations, and time-based works by WILD YAMS community of artists, alumni and current members. Collectively, these works trace the space between interconnected themes of artmaking, motherhood, equity, nurture, and resilience, revealing how care, time, imagination and collaboration continue to shape artistic practice and bring forth new models of artist residencies. 

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Featuring Artists:

Aaliyah Christina, A. Martinez, Alexy Irving-Alleyne, Andrea Hill Fitzgerald, Andrea Cole

Brandy Alpha, Cadi Milton, Dionne Victoria Milton, Kiela Smith, Mason Pickett, Naomi Baty

Sandra Ann McCollum, Shonna Pryor, Summer Coleman, Teniola Odunsi, Venise Keys, and Wisdom Baty

 

About WILD YAMS 

Founded in 2019, WILD YAMS: Black Mothers Artist Residency uplifts and supports Black Mother Artists and Caretakers/givers in recentering their creative practice and advancing their artistic careers. Rooted on Chicago’s South Side, WILD YAMS operates through an intersectional and intergenerational framework that promotes creative equity, access to studio space, artist resources, exhibition opportunities, creative development and community.

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Inquiries - info@ohartfoundation.org 

Follow us IG and FB @Ohartfoundation

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