February will suck a little less thanks to Black Artstory Month

Work from the likes of Laolu Senbanjo will be highlighted in Fort Greene, so there’s at least something to look forward to in February. via Myrtle Avenue Brookyn’s Flickr

February kinda sucks, what with Schmalentine’s Day and the whole Arctic winter of endless sorrows. Even if you are into Valentine’s Day (LAME), we all know the only love songs/slow jamz/heartbreak anthems you’ll ever need are from Motown and Ms. Lauryn Hill, which is one of many reasons to celebrate Black History Month, February’s one redeeming quality. This month, you can do that with Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership through their second annual Black Artstory Month, featuring art exhibits, mural painting, music, spoken word, storytelling, and a film screening.

This year’s theme is “Native Sons and Daughters: Locals, Im(migrants), Expats and Prodigals,” in honor of Richard Wright’s novel Native Son, which the Chicago native wrote in the late 1930s while living on Carlton Avenue in Fort Greene. The exhibition draws from black migratory experiences and “will bring together stories of travel, of exploring identities, of seeking to establish roots and of pursuing ownership of a space and place.” Brooklyn’s been forged by movement, for better or worse, and the themes explored in Black Artstory Month resonate in a place where people’s experiences are so deeply tied to their West Indian accents or out-of-state IDs.

Beyond the deep stuff, the photos on their Flickr page look really cool and the variation in media bodes well with our squirrel-like attention spans. Black Artstory Month kicks off February 1st and continues all month long.

February 1st

Artwalk on Myrtle Ave 6p.m.-8p.m.

Opening Reception 8p.m.-10p.m.

Climate Change: Opening Reception 7p.m.-9p.m.

February 8th

Storytime Art with FOKUS 12:30p.m.-2:30p.m.

February 12th

Screening of The Wonder Year 7p.m.-10p.m.

February 13th

How Much Longer Till We’re Home: An Evening of Storytelling 7:30p.m.-9:00p.m.

February 16th

Community Mural painting: Local Heroes 1p.m.-4p.m.