What’s Up With Us?

Check out what’s up with us! On this blog we share stories about the artistic events we attend and host, while spreading the words about community members and partners doing what it takes to make us great!

“Words I’ve Never Said”: A Communal Eulogy to Unspoken Truths
By Dionne Victoria

May 27, 2025

Last week, Connect Gallery closed the first showing of Words I’ve Never Said with a powerful open mic night, hosted by Binkey, where community members shared poems, songs, and reflections—bringing full circle the exhibit’s themes of expression, vulnerability, and healing.

Created by multidisciplinary artist Anthony Bartley, Words I’ve Never Said is more than an art show—it’s a living archive of emotion, memory, and collective reflection. Spanning works made between 2023 and 2025, the exhibition explores themes of grief, love, acceptance, and mental health, all rooted in Bartley’s own personal experiences with loss and connection.

Bartley’s ability to create his own visual language is on full display. Blending collage, Japanese ink styles, realism, and surrealism, each piece is an invitation to pause, feel, and reflect. His use of rich texture and symbolic imagery fosters a sense of intimacy, encouraging viewers to connect not just with the artwork—but with themselves and each other.

In Legacy, a smiling Black mother holds a child while a shadowy, absent figure looms behind them. Surrounded by violet hues, gold leaf, and glowing heart motifs, the piece speaks volumes about presence, absence, and emotional legacy. Below it, a collection of Post-it notes from viewers answers the prompt: “When was the last time you felt this way?” These handwritten responses add a communal layer to the exhibit—turning spectators into storytellers.

Another featured work, No Longer Whole, is a surreal rendering of a decaying apple core shaped like a human face, with ants and worms crawling through its contours. It’s haunting yet captivating—representing the emotional decay that can come from silence and unspoken truths. Each work serves as a visual eulogy to communication, evoking the things we never said but wish we had.

The exhibition—conceptualized by Bartley —is a deeply personal project that became a collective experience. Visitors were invited to participate not only by viewing, but by reflecting and writing, answering the essential question: What words have you never said?

As Words I’ve Never Said concluded with heartfelt performances during the open mic— emceed by Binkey—it became clear: this was not an ending, but a beginning. The exhibition opened a door—for dialogue, for healing, and for reconnection. Stay tuned by following Bartley for future showings of “Words I’ve Never Said” and follow Connect Gallery for upcoming events and exhibitions.

Patch Article: https://patch.com/illinois/chicago/words-i-ve-never-said-communal-eulogy-unspoken-truths-nodx

How Could We Not Lift As We Climb?
by Dionne Victoria, Artist and Storyteller

A stirring tribute to Black womanhood, legacy, and sisterhood—lifting each other as we climb, because the climb is never solo.

May 27, 2025

On a powerful evening stitched together with legacy and love, Invisible Giants, a documentary by Essence McDowell, lit the screen with stories that too often live in shadows. The screening was more than an event—it was a call to remembrance, a charge to honor, and a celebration of the Black women who have shaped our world with quiet force and unwavering grace.

Among the honored guests was none other than Brenetta Howell Barrett, a true titan of social change. Her presence at the screening was a profound reminder of the paths that have been paved through sacrifice, brilliance, and heart. To witness her bearing witness to this tribute was nothing short of sacred.

The film deeply explored womanhood—not as a performance, but as a daily devotion to our communities. It showed us what it means to serve with our full selves, to lead while loving, and to nurture while resisting. This kind of womanhood is rooted in purpose. It is familiar. It is ours.

Equally powerful was the theme of sisterhood, tenderly woven throughout the film. We saw women holding space for one another, lifting each other in struggle and triumph, and pouring belief into each other’s dreams. This is how we survive. This is how we thrive. We build our sisters up as much as we can, because the climb is never meant to be made alone.

The inclusion of Jenn Freeman, cofounder of House of the Lorde, brought a contemporary lens to the film’s archival strength. Her presence as a featured voice underscored how today’s movement work is a continuation of sacred, ancestral rhythms. Through healing, organizing, and creative revolution, Freeman carries the torch with boldness and care.

And perhaps one of the most invigorating and necessary elements of the evening was the voice of the children—present, clear, and full of possibility. Their energy wasn’t an afterthought; it was an essential thread. Hearing their voices—innocent, joyful, and wise—reminded us who we do this work for. They gave the night breath. They gave it wings.

This film, this gathering, was for the little girl in us—the one still looking for herself in stories, in faces, in futures. The one still healing. The one who needed to know that our legacy is rich, our lineage is deep, and our brilliance is undeniable.

McDowell’s film is deeply rooted in the ongoing work of Lifting As They Climbed, a historic preservation and educational initiative she co-authored. More than a book, it has become a movement—with an accompanying curriculum designed to teach Black Chicago history through the lens of Black women’s contributions. It’s an essential resource for schools, cultural institutions, and anyone committed to keeping these stories alive.

We are the daughters of giants, and this screening reminded us: how could we not lift as we climb?

Want to learn more or bring the curriculum to your space?
Visit www.liftingastheyclimbed.com to explore the books, curriculum, and more.

Patch Article: https://patch.com/illinois/chicago/how-could-we-not-lift-we-climb-nodx