Bridgeport’s Zhou B Art Center Hosting Black History Month Festival Of The Arts
The local non-profit OH Art Foundation is bringing 27 African American artists together for a month of visual art and live performances.
Visitors looking at artwork at Zhou B Art Center Credit: Provided/Facebook
BRIDGEPORT — Twenty-seven African American artists will transform the Zhou B Art Center this Friday as the OH Art Foundation launches its inaugural Black History Month Festival of the Arts.
The festival, hosted by the Bridgeport-based nonprofit, invites visitors to explore reimagined themes of identity, strength, and vulnerability through diverse artistic expressions, ranging from paintings to orchestral compositions.
The opening-night celebration starts at 7 p.m. Friday and will include musical performances by Marvin Hathaway, the Ari Brown Quintet, and Emoni Brown-Bey. Another reception on Feb. 21 will feature performances by Taalib-Din Ziyad, Coco Elysses and Draizig, Edward Wilkerson Jr., and Donovan Mixon. More information is available on the OH Art Foundation website.
“In The Valley of The Sun” and other works by Bronzeville-based acrylic artist Jeffery Beckham will be featured in the Black History Month Arts Festival. Credit: Provided
The OH Art Foundation has become a vital addition to the cultural fabric of Bridgeport and Chicago’s South Side. Located in the Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W 35th St. — a former industrial building transformed by the Zhou brothers into a creative hub in 2004 — the foundation continues to expand the center’s artistic legacy.
InJung Oh, daughter-in-law of the elder Zhou brother, founded the OH Art Foundation; the name stands for “Open Horizon,” reflecting its mission to inspire creativity and broaden perspectives through diverse cultural arts.
Since founding the organization in 2013, Oh said she has been exploring ways to celebrate cultural diversity through the arts. After the pandemic, she envisioned hosting festivals during various cultural heritage months. However, initially relying solely on personal funding, she said the organization struggled to finance even a single festival.
In 2023, after receiving grants from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and the Illinois Arts Council, the foundation celebrated its first Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival of the Arts. After that success, the foundation added a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration last year.
With this year’s Black History Month festival, Oh said she hopes to establish these three cultural celebrations as annual traditions as she continues applying for grants for future years.
“Living in Bridgeport for the past 15 years, I’ve seen many changes in its cultural diversity,” Oh said. “In the past, you didn’t see many artists of color, but now, places like the Bridgeport storage have turned into an art center, and the Ramova Theatre just opened last year … It’s really good to have community leaders who believe in us and want to support the arts in the neighborhood.”
Staff installing artwork for the Black History Month Festival of Arts on the second floor of Zhou B Art Center. Credit: Grace Xue/Block Club Chicago
“Reimagining Black Identity”
Renee Baker, a celebrated visual artist, composer, curator, and co-curator Wisdom Baty, curated the exhibition, “Reimagining Black Identity, Strength and Vulnerability.”
Baker emphasizes the importance of showcasing the range of Black art, from abstract works to performance art, challenging monolithic stereotypes that limit Black art to representations of Black people.
“The Black imagination is limitless,” she said. “It was gratifying to see that Black artists, like all artists, were not allowing themselves to be pigeonholed because the expressions were all across the spectrum.”
“Father I Stretch My Hands” by Bronzeville-based acrylic artist Jefferey Beckham. Credit: Provided
Among the featured artists is Jeffery Beckham, a Bronzeville-based acrylic artist and CEO of Chicago Scholars. His contributions include “TU Flyboys,” a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen; “In The Valley of The Sun,” a work dedicated to brotherhood and sisterhood; and “Father I Stretch My Hands,” which depicts a poignant moment of a Black child in prayer.
“Wanting to have works that reflected the power and the beauty of the black community, I thought of these three pieces when InJung and I talked about reimagining black identity, strength and vulnerability, you kind of get a little bit of all in each work,” Beckham said.
Visitors looking at artwork at Zhou B Art Center. Credit: Provided/Facebook
Baker is not only curating will also present her work “Dark Symphony: Movement Three,” a large-scale graphic score designed for orchestra, painted in acrylic on canvas.
As the interim chair of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, Baker has partnered with Oh to bring six live performances to the opening day and on Feb. 21. These experimental soundscapes will complement the visual works, creating an immersive experience for attendees.
“I’m hoping that people come with little expectation,” Baker said. “Just come and take in the product of all these Black minds that took the time to create and put their expressions on paper or canvas.”
Oh acknowledges the financial challenges many artists face and emphasizes the importance of compensating all creative contributors despite the festival's modest budget.
“As an artist myself, being able to run this program and give back to artists, taking care of them and seeing this long-held vision finally manifesting, is incredibly exciting,” she said.
Poster of Black History Month Festival of Arts by the OH Art Foundation at Zhou B Art Center. Credit: Grace Xue/Block Club Chicago
The Black History Month Festival of the Arts runs from Friday through March 16 at OH Art Foundation on the second floor of Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St.
Admission is free, inviting all to explore and celebrate the rich tapestry of African American culture and creativity. Visit the exhibition website for information and a complete list of featured artists.
