SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery at Springfield Technical Community College presents Where We At: Awake & Alive, an exhibition celebrating the work and enduring legacy of ten influential Black women artists.
The exhibit features Claudia “Aziza” Gibson-Hunter, Sadikisha Collier, Jerrolyn Crooks de Garcia, Linda Hiwot, robin holder, Dianne Ifill, Charlotte Ka, Dindga McCannon, Ann Tanksley, and Joyce Wellman. Working across a wide range of media – including photo-collage, textiles, acrylics, pastels and vintage jewelry embedded in artwork – these artists bring powerful perspectives on identity, history and cultural expression.
“The Where We At collective represents a powerful moment in art history when Black women artists claimed space, visibility and recognition on their own terms,” said Mary Lou Vredenburg, Dean of Liberal and Professional Studies at STCC. “We are honored to bring this exhibition to our campus.”
The exhibition is rooted in the groundbreaking “Where We At” collective, founded in 1971 during a time of social change and growing Black cultural identity. Harlem-based artists Kay Brown, Dindga McCannon and Faith Ringgold formed the collective to address the lack of visibility and resources for Black women artists within both the predominantly male Black art world and largely white mainstream art scene.
Their first exhibition, “Where We At” – Black Women Artists, 1971, held at the Acts of Art Gallery in New York City, was a landmark moment, presenting Black women as professional artists rather than background figures. More than 50 years later, the collective’s impact continues to resonate, with exhibitions at major institutions including the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Brooklyn Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
As part of the exhibition, artists Dindga McCannon and Dianne Ifill will visit STCC for a Meet & Greet reception on Tuesday, April 7, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., followed by art workshops on Wednesday, April 8.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the exhibition highlights the lasting influence of these pioneering artists. Visitors are also encouraged to view Black Theater in Harlem, 2014, a quilt by Dindga McCannon on display in the STCC Library (Building 19, second floor, near the circulation desk). The piece holds special significance as the first artwork acquired for the college’s permanent art collection.
The Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery is funded in part by STCC’s School of Liberal and Professional Studies (LAPS) and the Fine Arts program, with additional support for Where We At: Awake & Alive provided by the Springfield Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
The gallery and all associated events, held in Building 28, are free and open to the public. The exhibition runs through April 10. Gallery hours are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The gallery is closed on weekends and holidays. Group visits can be arranged by emailing speron@stcc.edu.
For more information, visit stcc.io/carberry.
About the Gallery
The Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery presents four to six exhibits each year featuring artwork by artists of local and national repute, as well as STCC student work. The gallery, in the fine arts building, B28, on the campus of Springfield Technical Community College (Pearl Street side of campus) in Springfield, MA, is open to the public from September through May.
The gallery and all events are free to the public.
This exhibition and associated events are supported in part by the School of Liberal and Professional Studies (LAPS) and the Fine Arts (A.A.) program.
About Springfield Technical Community College
STCC, the Commonwealth’s only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC’s highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.
