We Were Here is a celebration — a vivid assertion of Black presence, culture, and creative power. Set against a political backdrop that often seeks to erase or distort the stories of Black people, this exhibition resists through expression. Here, art is not just a response to erasure — it is a reminder: we have shaped the culture, we are the culture, and we are still here.

This exhibition uplifts the voices and visions of Black artists who explore the richness of identity, style, influence, and community. From bold reflections of pop culture to everyday beauty, from ancestral energy to futuristic vision, the work featured is unapologetically vibrant and present.

As James Baldwin once wrote, “To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.” But rage is not the only language we speak. We speak in joy, in rhythm, in reinvention. We style the world. We soundtrack the future. We break molds and build new ones.

Through We Were Here, Unified Creative Exchange (UCE) affirms its mission to restore, elevate, and preserve Black creative narratives — not by asking permission, but by creating space. This show is a living expression of Black influence, reminding viewers that while textbooks may overlook us, the culture never could.

What you erase in our textbooks, we will put in our art.

Curated by Joshua Hollingsworth

Exhibiting Artist, Brandon Bailey, Diabou, Janice King, Jon Tyson, K.O. Simms Fine Art, Keisha Finnie, LaRae, La’Don Prodigè, Taylor Gordon