In celebration of Black History Month (Feb. 1- March 1) and the contributions African American artists have made in the community and to the greater culture, West Valley Arts is presenting Imprint: African Americans in the Arts, featuring five local artists, at Arts HQ Gallery, 16126 N. Civic Center Plaza.

Featured artists are:

• Floyd Galloway, photography

• John Neville, sculpture and painting

• Joe Willie Smith, sculpture

• Phalen Booker, painting

• Wanda King, painting

In addition to exhibitions of their works, the artists will engage the local community “in thoughtful and captivating dialogue through visual and interactive concepts at workshops, lectures and classes beginning on Feb. 6,” said West Valley Arts President and CEO Sandra Bassett. “African American artists have had a significant impact on U.S. arts and culture on many levels and we’re excited to offer insights into the work of local artists whose contributions are so meaningful.”

A full schedule of events can be found at http://www.westvalleyarts.org.

Among the events will be a live painting demonstration by Phalen Booker on Jan. 22 from 4-7 p.m., and music performances. His artwork will be auctioned with proceeds supporting West Valley Arts’ Arts Advantage Black History video, The Tribute, based on a book by Traci Nolan about famous Black Americans in history. The video will be available in English and Spanish on Feb. 1, 2021. For more information, contact info@westvalleyarts.org.

For more information about West Valley Arts, visit http://www.westvalleyarts.org.

About West Valley Arts: The West Valley Arts (WVA) enriches the West Valley by growing a vibrant and connected arts and cultural community. WVA serves 13 municipalities in the West Valley as an advisory, creator, and coordinator for arts programs including arts venues, grants management, arts festivals, public art, arts education, and regional arts promotion. By creating strategic partnerships we use our resources to grow and strengthen arts and cultural opportunities. Incorporated as the Cultural Arts Society West in 1969, the organization changed its name to the West Valley Fine Arts Council in 1989 to reflect a broader, more inclusive vision. It became the West Valley Arts (WVA) in 2004. WVA has been central to creating what is recognized as a “high quality of life” for West Valley residents and is the only multi-disciplinary arts organization of its type and scope in the Valley. Since its inception, the WVA has earned multiple awards including two Governor’s Art Awards! For more information, visit http://www.westvalleyarts.org.



Provided by Steve Carr
Photo Caption: Phalen Booker at work