Look Up – Let Freedom Ring At BAM Feb 12-15

The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is bringing back its Let Freedom Ring project in celebration of Black History Month and President’s Day.

The public project, curated by BAM’s Larry Ossie-Mensah, features artwork by seven artists, both established and emerging, exploring one question: “What does freedom mean?” and will be displayed on a digital billboard on the corner of Flatbush Avenue and Lafayette Avenue starting tomorrow, February 12th, until Monday the 15th.

Let Freedom Ring Vol. 2 follows up the BAM’s billboard tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. that was displayed last month in the same location.

“After the first project’s success, I felt it necessary to continue the conversation and reflect on freedom as the nation observes President’s Day and celebrates Black History Month,” said Ossie-Mensah. “Working on Let Freedom Ring has been a cathartic experience growing from a desire to ponder and imagine what freedom could look like in 2021 and beyond.”

Let Freedom Ring Vol. 2 features the following artists:

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn is an Emmy nominated documentary photographer. She is co-author of MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora and is currently working on a book featuring contemporary Black photographers. You can learn more about her projects here.

Jordan Casteel is a painter, who based on photographs of people and places she captures, composes her own artistic pieces. You can view some of her paintings on her website.

Kevin Claiborne examines identity, the social environment, and mental health within the context of the Black experience in America. Visit his website to scroll through some of his photography and writing.

Lizania Cruz is an artist, curator, and designer focused on portraying human migration and how it affects identity through her work. Her projects include photography, writing, as well as panels and workshops depicting the minority experience.

Deborah Roberts challenges perceptions of “ideal beauty” through mixed media art. Her work has been displayed in various museums, including the Whitney Museum of American Art as well as overseas.

Amy Sherald was the first woman and African American to win first prize in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition from the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. The painter’s work explores racial identity.

Jasmine Wahi, curator and activist, focuses on female empowerment and gender within her work. You can learn more about her projects here.

“Naturally, as a curator, I look to artists who create work that inspires hope, proposes deep philosophical questions, and reminds us of our humanity for guidance on what is possible,” said Ossie-Mensah. “I’m honored that these seven artists accepted my invitation and responded in a variety of ways.”

The digital project will be on display for a limited time, only from Feb 12th until Feb 15th, on the BAM billboard on the corner of Flatbush Avenue and Lafayette Avenue. The artwork will play on the billboard in a continuous loop and is free for the public to view.