Beacon Gallery is delighted to announce that Cheryl Miller has been invited to be its Artist-In-Residence for the Summer 2023 (07/21/2023 - 08/27/2023), supported by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Its upcoming exhibition Cheryl Miller: If We Stand Tall, will feature the work of this longtime New York photographer who is now based in the Boston area. The public is invited to experience Miller's studio as created within Beacon Gallery from July 21st through August 24th and then enjoy the culminating exhibition of the residency, entitled If We Stand Tall from August 25th to the 27th. An opening reception shall be hosted on August 25^th, from 6 to 8 pm. 

As a former City and Regional Planner, she focuses on the economic, social, and political development of communities, neighborhoods, and the people that make them thrive.  She does this by “capturing images of African Americans viewed through a kaleidoscope of everyday experiences:  the rites, rituals, social norms, mores of how people live, work, play, conduct business, raise children, build families and community, create art, educate, worship, entertain, invent…in spite of the history of hundreds of years of enslavement, Jim Crow and existing racist systems, that have not thwarted our efforts to flourish magnificently.”  She insists that “honoring and revering our ancestors” is the catalyst for this success.

During the residency, Miller will exhibit her photographs, immerse visitors in the discussion of audio-generated narratives written to accompany them, guide the installation of a community-based Ancestral Alter to include offerings from the surrounding community, immerse visitors in the discussion, and engage local artists in conversation about the importance of the art we create and the legacies we leave. Her studio practice will be open to the public in its incubation phase prior to the official exhibition.  August’s First Friday and Studio Sundays will open Miller’s residency to the public (August 4, 6, 13, and 20th), and the residency is also open by appointment. Please contact us to arrange a visit.  

Miller’s studio practice will be open to the public in its incubation phase prior to the official exhibition. Miller will exhibit images, audio and text-based narratives, and guide the installation of a community-based ancestral altar. Visitors will be invited to contribute flowers, cloth, pictures, bottles of oil or liquor, coconuts, photos, and unlit candles to the altar installation on days the gallery is open to the public. Ancestral altars have a deep history in the Yoruba tradition that has many tributaries: Palo Mayombe, Voodoo, Ifa, Santeria, and even unnamed and hidden practices adopted by African Americans who survived the Trans-Atlantic slave trade to reconnect to their ancestry. The community altar will be celebrated on August 27th as part of the If We Stand Tall exhibition. 

Following the dates of the residency, Cheryl Miller: If We Stand Tall (August 25 - 27, 2023) will officially open to the public. If We Stand Tall comes from the African Proverb: “If we stand tall it is because we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.” This proverb encapsulates Miller’s role as a story keeper and archivist for her family, community, and her brilliant portfolio of Black figurative film-based photography narrating decades of culture and cultural icons.

Beacon Gallery and Cheryl Miller invite the public to join them for an opening reception to celebrate the culmination of the residency and the opening of If We Stand Tall on August 25th from 6 to 8 pm. The opening is free and open to the public, guests are welcome to register on Eventbrite or simply stop by the opening. 

The exhibition (August 25th-27th) will offer standard gallery hours (12-6 Fri/12-5 Sat, 11-4 Sun), and an opening on Friday, August 25th (6-8 pm), which is free and open to the public.  

Photographers Roundtable

On Tuesday August 8th Cheryl Miller was joined by photographers Marilyn Nance and OJ Slaughter for a Photography Panel, moderated by Dr. Jovonna Jones of Boston College.

Perspectives & Visions: African Street Food with Black & White Photography

 Nigerian Restaurant Suya Joint, and photographer Cheryl Miller welcomed guests to the gallery for a memorable evening of intriguing dialogue and vegan African cuisine, through Open Kitchens Project. 

Current list of open days and events:
August 4 (5-8 pm) First Friday
August 6 (11-4 pm) Studio Sunday 
August 8 (6:30 pm, doors at 6) Photography Roundtable with Cheryl Miller, Marilyn Nance & OJ Slaughter @ Boston University, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Room 401-11

August 8 6:30-9:30 pm) African Street Food Dinner
August 13 (11-4 pm) Studio Sunday 
August 20 (11-4 pm) Studio Sunday 
August 25 (12-6) Gallery Hours
August 25  (6-8 pm) Opening - Cheryl Miller: If We Stand Tall
August 26 (12-6) Gallery Hours
August 27 (11-4 pm) Gallery Hours

For more information on the exhibition or events, email contact@beacongallery.com.