The Black Madonna & Other Sacred Spaces
The Black Madonna & Other Sacred Spaces is a multidisciplinary exhibition and cultural experience that centers healing, ancestral memory, and sacred creative practice within Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.
Through visual art, installation, and public programming, the exhibition explores the Black Madonna as both symbol and portal—an archetype of protection, resilience, divinity, and maternal power across time and geography. Artists were invited to interpret “sacred spaces” expansively: as physical environments, interior landscapes, spiritual inheritances, and sites of resistance, rest, and restoration.
Presented by The Sacred Spaces Collective in collaboration with community partners, the exhibition will transform gallery space into an immersive, reflective environment that prioritizes care, accessibility, and collective storytelling. Programming will include workshops, artist talks, and healing-centered gatherings that deepen engagement beyond the visual experience.
Participating Artists: Arris Cohen, Ade Asiko, BLingual, Queen Brooks, Keya Crenshaw, Hollie Davis, Ajanae Dawkins, Shelbi Harris, Lynn “Ella Rachel Art”, Sonia Mañjon, Tyiesha Radford-Shorts, Gaye Reissland, Carlos Roa, Ludie Senatus, Lisa Shepherd, Tiffany Musa, Marissa Stewart, April Sunami, Paisha Thomas, Nina “9” Wells, Joni Acuff, gloria wilson, Roni Auset, Michol Childress, Leslie Battle, Sheena Miller, David Butler, Marshall Shorts, Uko Smith, Angel Baker, Gia Sol, Alé Sison, Sheena Hanscel, Mark Cardwell, Le’Ana Asher, Indigo Gonzalez, Monique McCrystal, Hana Orchéz
This inaugural exhibition marks the beginning of a larger vision: to build sustainable platforms, resources, and physical spaces that support artists and communities in creating, preserving, and experiencing sacred work.
Instagram: @sacredspacescollective
Exhibition: Tuesday, July 14–Saturday, August 15, 2026 at Urban Arts Space
On view concurrently with Homing
Programming
*This page will be updated with times and locations as event details are finalized.
A Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde
Tuesday, July 21, 7:00 PM
Wexner Center for the Arts Film & Video (Ada Gay Griffin and Michelle Parkerson, 1996)
A Litany for Survival chronicles the remarkable life of Black lesbian, poet, teacher, and activist Audre Lorde, from her childhood in Harlem to her 14-year battle with breast cancer.
A champion of civil rights, the women’s movement, and gay and lesbian rights, Lorde “narrates” the film through recordings of her poetry, prose, and interviews conducted during the final years of her life. Reflections from her children, students, and contemporaries—including Adrienne Rich, Essex Hemphill, and Sonia Sanchez—add to this incredibly rich portrait of one of 20th century’s most influential writers. Sacred Spaces Collective Curator Keya Crenshaw and Poet Tyiesha Radford-Shorts lead a discussion following the screening. (90 mins., digital video)
The Listening Room Presents: Straight Through, An Atemporal Experience
Wednesday, July 22, 7:00 PM
The Bar Room (backup option: UAS or Kutt Records) In partnership with Sista Rhythm aka Dr. Adrienne Kennedy
Artist Commune: Mystic Sticks (A Hand-Rolled Incense Making Workshop)
Friday, July 31, 6:30–8:30 PM
Urban Arts Space
In partnership with Sheena Hanscel of the Pollen Patch Columbus
The Care Studio: Interactive Rituals for Skin, Body, and Self Love
Friday, August 7, 6:30–8:30 PM
Urban Arts Space
In partnership with Sheena Hanscel of the Pollen Patch Columbus
The Listening Room Presents: Straight Through, An Atemporal Experience
Saturday, August 15, 2:00 PM
The Bar Room (backup option: UAS or Kutt Records) In partnership with Sista Rhythm aka Dr. Adrienne Kennedy
Dance Performance
Saturday, August 15, afternoon or evening (or Thursday, August 13 evening)
AI and Art Talk