By Hailey Stangebye

Photos courtesy of Shelbi Harris-Roseboro

A central theme throughout all of the pieces selected for our Gateway Gallery is identity. We told each artist to select a piece that represents themselves in one way or another.

For Shelbi Harris-Roseboro, or Shel10, her piece called “Face of my father” was the perfect fit. She says that “Face of my father” represents who she’s become as an artist over the years. It’s also notable; “Face of my father” has been shown in more than a dozen national and local shows since its creation in 2012.

“The piece shows my style,” Shelbi says. “Pointillism, colorful choices, things like that. I think it also represents my African roots, and there’s a spiritual connection for me with this piece. It’s just an all around piece that I thought would be good to represent me.”

“I think it also represents my African roots, and there’s a spiritual connection for me with this piece. It’s just an all around piece that I thought would be good to represent me.”

Shelbi is a Columbus native — “born and raised” — who currently works as a graphic designer, mixed-media artist, teacher and gallery director. She says that the Harlem Renaissance is a unique platform for this city.

“The cool thing about the Harlem Renaissance is that everybody gets to be themselves and be celebrated for who they are,” Shelbi says. “I enjoyed the show and all the pieces in it. I know and respect all of the people in it because everyone has their own lane, their own style and their own way of going about being an artist and a creative. I’m honored to be a part of it.”

“I enjoyed the show and all the pieces in it. I know and respect all of the people in it because everyone has their own lane, their own style and their own way of going about being an artist and a creative. I’m honored to be a part of it.”

Shelbi’s work will remain on display in the Gateway Gallery through February of 2019. Prints of her piece, “Face of my father,” are available upon request. Click here to learn more.

By Hailey Stangebye

Photos courtesy of April Sunami

April Sunami knows that culture is a form of power.

She says it’s not laws or heavy-handed rules. It’s the way we influence people. It’s the way we instill values and show love. Culture is a soft power.

And the best way to influence culture and harness that power, April says, is through art.

“Artists come in all types, but I’m a visual artist and a cultural producer,” April says. “By cultural producer, I mean somebody who is in the conversation about culture. Somebody who contributes to the larger culture. I think all artists are cultural producers, really. We produce content that people talk about and discuss and consume.”

“By cultural producer, I mean somebody who is in the conversation about culture. Somebody who contributes to the larger culture. I think all artists are cultural producers, really. We produce content that people talk about and discuss and consume.” 

April has created art for as long as she can remember — it was her favorite thing to do from elementary school through graduate school. She still remembers one of her first picture books. It was about a girl named Sam who wore a leather jacket and had flower curls.

Today, April continues to gravitate toward art that shows African women in positions of power and action.

“It’s just a way of celebrating a history that a lot of people don’t know about. As a person who studied history, I always felt that African history was excluded from the picture,” April says. “Anytime anybody talked about the broader trajectory of world history, Africa was always excluded. Then, of course, women were always excluded from the broader trajectory of history.

“So African women and their role as these powerful figures, be it if they existed in real life or as mythologies from tradition, is what I hope to highlight and bring forth and represent in my work.”

“So African women and their role as these powerful figures, be it if they existed in real life or as mythologies from tradition, is what I hope to highlight and bring forth and represent in my work.”

April created a mural in the Short North for the Harlem Renaissance Experience at Gallery Hop that does just that. The piece, which is called “Dziva, 2017,” depicts a powerful African woman looking up in hope.

Her mural brings forgotten history to life. That’s why the piece is so perfect for the Harlem Renaissance campaign.

“The Harlem Renaissance wasn’t necessarily a re-birth, as the name suggests. It’s always been there. It was really an awareness that there’s this culture that is happening in Harlem. And really across the United States. What’s interesting about the Harlem Renaissance, to me, is there’ve been many points in history, and specifically within black art and black popular culture, where it’s been more visible at some times than others,” April says. “But, the thing about it is that it’s always being created. It never goes away. There’s always artists and people working continually. There were people before the Harlem Renaissance and there were plenty of wonderful cultural producers afterwords.”

“What’s interesting about the Harlem Renaissance, to me, is there’ve been many points in history, and specifically within black art and black popular culture, where it’s been more visible at some times than others. But, the thing about it is that it’s always being created. It never goes away. There’s always artists and people working continually.”

For April, this celebration shines a light on the phenomenal artists and cultural producers who were already creating in this space. It also creates an opportunity for communities to have a dialogue.

“These different movements, these different points of awareness, they always happen in communities. They never happen with just one person,” April says. “The case is usually that you have a community of people, a circle of artists and intellectuals, people who generally know each other, and they’re in conversation with each other. That makes this movement.”

April is a part of the August 4 Gallery Hop. Her work will be featured in Sherrie Gallerie and her mural will be located at 772 N. High St. Here is where you can find more information.

April’s Work