Lack of representation prompts African American artist to open Bronx gallery
At age 24, Mark West is one of the youngest artists -- if not the youngest -- to open an art gallery in the Bronx.
As an African American gay male, West has become a springboard for other local African American artists -- especially those who identify as LGTBQ -- who often feel they lack a platform.
This weekend, the House of Mark West Gallery hosted "Celebrating Black Voices," an exhibition showcasing African American artwork, dance, poetry and music.
"Being here really means a lot to me because growing up as an African kid in a European space we only saw American artists," said performer Shishani Vranckx, a Namibian artist raised in the Netherlands. "We didn’t know about African stars."
Vranckx teared up Saturday night before singing her song "Minority," which has been nominated for two awards at the Namibian Annual Music Awards.
"As a queer person of color ... you have to justify your existence everywhere you go," Vranckx said. "Being in this space, I am getting emotional being here with you guys, to be in this space."
"If I cry, just let me cry," she added.
For West, it’s about creating a truly safe space without exclusion, a space he doesn’t see available specifically for black artists in the Bronx.
"We want to offer emerging artists proper visibility," West said. "There is currently no space for these people to go."
For West, the gallery model has for too long involved black and brown artists looking for attention from whites.
"The new narrative is we can get support from our own communities," West said. "We can lift our own selves up. We can create our own content. We can produce our own film, open our own galleries."
After graduating from New York University with a liberal arts degree, West cycled through seven jobs in two years before landing a $60,000 position in corporate finance. In the hours he didn't spend in his cubicle, West poured himself into painting. His friends took notice and encouraged him to pursue it full-time.
West was hesitant, but decided to set up some of his paintings along 14th Street to see the public's reaction. He sold two paintings on the first day. The next weekend West sold nine pieces, earning enough money to cover his entire month's rent.
"I realized in the moment, 'I never have to apply for a cubicle again,'" West said. He quit his finance job six months later, after earning enough side money to start a small gallery.
West's Long Island Gallery opened in May 2019, and by its second packed show, guest artists were selling their paintings. West quickly realized his gallery wasn't only a space for his work, but a place to uplift the experiences and expression of all black voices. Seeing a need for such a space specifically in the Bronx, West moved his gallery in October.
The art that covered the walls of West's 500-square-foot gallery Saturday night ranged from surrealism to modernism to photography, all created primarily by local black or brown artists. Although widely different in style and medium, all the art had one thing in common: It was created by artists who had finally found a place to belong.
