Their Own Words: Welcome to Art Flow(s)

A new exhibition in the Mansion Galleries invites you to immerse yourself in an artistic flow generated by three women who are bound in friendship, enriched by art, and dedicated to patronage of the arts. 

By Dr. Deborah Smith, Dr. Yonette Thomas, and Dr. Margo Thomas 

The Mansion at Strathmore will host an intercultural, interdisciplinary exhibition titled Art Flow(s): Perspectives from the African Diaspora, accompanied by several richly layered public programs connecting visual arts with dance, music, science, and literature. 

As active members of the Strathmore community who refer to ourselves as the Three Sisters, we have conceived Art Flow(s) as a project to nurture connectivity, authenticity, and accessibility through the arts. By sharing selected pieces of our personal collections of visual art and ephemera, the exhibition is designed to stimulate introspection and contemplation on the value and meaning of art in the lives of everyday people, of all walks of life, recognizing that the beauty and value of art is personal and specific to the beholder. We hope that this exhibition will contribute to changing perspectives on what it means to collect art and will encourage more people to begin collecting or to expand their collections. 

The word “flow” in the title of the exhibition is a theme that transcends the underlying narratives that are reflected in the works curated for this exhibition. It describes the unbroken continuity and fluidity of movement and exchange in the life of every human being, much like the flow of a river or the flow of blood and breath through the body. The diversity of artistic expression represented in Art Flow(s) is indicative of how culture flows across borders, seas, disciplines, and generations. 

The Three Sisters have been friends for over 25 years. We have bonded through our deep love of the arts, shared professional pursuits, and a lifetime of global travel. Professionally, we are Dr. Deborah Smith, an obstetrician and gynecologist; Dr. Yonette Thomas, an epidemiologist and medical sociologist; and, Dr. Margo Thomas, a development economist. We have collected expressions of human creativity from virtually every continent, while traversing the globe on professional and personal trips. This exhibition serves as a prism of art in our daily lives, homes, family history, and travels. Art plays an integral role in our respective lives, well-being, and quality of life. As Deborah explains, “We may not be artists, but we cannot and will not live without art in our lives.” 

Through Art Flow(s), selected works from our personal collections reflect a range of expressions representing different perspectives and experiences of peoples of the African Diaspora. “Diaspora” refers to the dispersion or spread of a people from their original homelands. The African Diaspora is comprised of African-descended people who have either migrated across the globe voluntarily or whose ancestors were forcibly relocated. 

Deborah’s paternal uncle was a passionate, amateur photographer whose capture of Augusta Savage’s sculpture, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (also known as “The Harp”), at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, documents a moment of historical significance. Unfortunately, the sculpture did not survive the Fair because the artist did not have the resources to cast it in bronze. Deborah’s family traces its origins through the African Diaspora by way of Jamaican and Canadian ancestors. 

Drs. Yonette and Margo Thomas are biological sisters who were born and raised in Guyana with familial origins that spanned three continents and the Caribbean Sea. Yonette makes the point that “From our early years in grammar and secondary school, we were taught to think of art as a means of telling a story. That nurturance, combined with our global travels, is manifested in our passion for the human story in art—how people are depicted and by whom.” 

We feel that through art, the “connectedness with ancestors, connectedness beyond oneself, and connections across communities” has been a source of resilience for all peoples. Art Flow(s) also reflects the spiritual nature of creativity. From Margo’s perspective, “As humans cognizant of a higher power, art flows from our very being, reflecting who we are, what we believe, and how we express our beliefs.” 

Working with Zoma Wallace as the exhibition’s curator, Art Flow(s): Perspectives from the African Diaspora seeks to further the vision of Strathmore to be “a bridge to a more conscious, connected, arts-infused world.” As the Three Sisters share our creative flow, Strathmore warmly welcomes you, whether you are a familiar patron or visiting for the first time. Join us! 

STRATHMORE.ORG/ARTFLOWS