Celebrate Juneteenth with community events, blog posts, and Artist Talks.

Juneteenth marks the celebration of the ending of slavery in the United States and commemorates the day that Union forces reached Galveston, Texas and ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865. Also known as Jubilee Day and Freedom Day, Juneteenth has been celebrated since 1866 and became a federal holiday in 2021. Clay Art Center honors and recognizes the contributions of Black Americans to society and culture in the past, present, and future. Below, you’ll find information about local Juneteenth celebrations, as well as blog posts and virtual artist talks that engage with Black history and artistry.

This Juneteenth here at Clay Art Center, the Community Arts team will be hosting two clay classes with Bethel Sound of Praise church focusing on historic Black ceramicists. Adults and kids will learn about H. Wilson & Co. Pottery, the first Black-owned business in Texas. Hiram Wilson, a formerly enslaved man, established and ran the business with the help of James, Wallace, George and Andrew, who had been enslaved alongside him. The proprietors of H. Wilson & Co. pioneered a unique, horseshoe-shaped jar handle, which was less prone to breakage, and stamped their work with the company's name, which was uncommon at the time. After learning about the company history, both the adult and kids’ class will make H. Wilson & Co. inspired pieces.

Inspirational Exhibition from Past Artist-in-Residence

Clay Art Center will also be sharing images from past Clay Art Center Westchester Community Foundation Fellow (2020-2022) Breana Hendricks’ new thesis exhibition, Desire Lines: Chasing the Horizon. In Breana’s exhibition - which completes her Master of Fine Arts in ceramics from Ohio State University - she explores themes of identity through objects that draw inspiration from her Caribbean and Nigerian heritage.

Breana states, "Food is historically linked to the black feminine body. I observe Josephine Baker’s banana skirt and Carmen Miranda’s portrayal of Chiquita Banana, among many women who offered an accessible yet exoticized glimpse into Caribbean culture. Drawing inspiration from rum jars and storage containers in Nigeria, I explore the similarities between human bodies and ceramic vessels."

See more from Breana’s 2022 Clay Art Center solo exhibition Becoming, in which the artist explored similar themes through handbuilt figures, adorned with beads and culturally significant motifs.

Get Involved - Local Events

The Town of Rye is hosting a ceremony followed by a service project from 10am-12pm on Saturday, June 21. After the ceremony, attendees will be invited to join in the clean up of the Rye African-American Cemetery, one of the area’s most important Black History sites. Heritage Consultants will also be placing grave markers on the graves discovered during their study.

The Port Chester-Rye Chapter of the NAACP will be hosting a Juneteenth celebration in partnership with the Port Chester Historical Society and ArtsWestchester. Beginning at 5:30 at the historic Bush-Lyon Homestead, a historic site where enslaved people are believed to have once lived, the community will gather to celebrate resilience, liberation, and legacy with music, stories, poetry, food, and crafts. This is a free event that is open to the public.

If you’d like to engage with more of Clay Art Center’s Black history and culture resources, visit these blog posts and virtual Artist Talks:

Blog Posts

The Importance of Juneteenth by Earlene Cox

"Diversity makes all of us stronger": Camille Beckles on Black History Month

Artist Talks

Earlene Cox | America’s Enduring Burden

Vinnie Bagwell | Black History in Public Life

Panel Discussion: The Role of Art in the Fight for Social Justice

Syd Carpenter | Places of Our Own

DONTÉ HAYES | Welcome to Afro City

Exhibitions

Becoming: Breana Hendricks